Columbia  (Bntoetsftp 
intijeCftpofJtogork 

THE   LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


MISCELLANY: 


CONSISTING    OF 


ESSAYS,    BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES, 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 


ft**.  €,  1.  ailnrris,  I),  D., 

ONE    OF   THE    RISHOPS    OF   THE    METHODIST    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH. 


Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain,  that  nothing  he  lost. — John  vi,  12. 


(tftnrinnatt: 

PUBLISHED  BY  L.  SWORMSTEDT  &  A.  POE, 

FOR  TTIE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,  AT  THE  WESTERN  BOOK  CONCERN, 
CORNER  OF   MAIN  AND  EIGHTH  STREETS. 


P.    P.    THOMPSON.    x'I'INTER. 

1854. 


9<3S.c 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1852, 
BY  L.  SWORMSTEDT  &  J.  H.  POWER, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
District  of  Ohio. 


PREFACE 


For  many  years  I  have  occasionally  employed  frag- 
ments of  time  in  writing  for  our  Church  papers.  My 
articles  are  thinly  scattered  over  a  broad  surface  of 
periodical  literature,  some  of  them  in  papers  which, 
at  the  time  those  articles  appeared,  had  but  a  limited 
circulation.  These  papers  are  now  rapidly  going  to 
waste,  and  most  of  their  early  readers  have  already 
disappeared  from  among  the  living.  I  am  not  quite 
willing  that  all  of  my  articles  should  remain  a  dead 
letter,  as  I  have  often  been  requested,  by  different 
individuals,  to  republish  some  of  them.  And  the 
only  hope  now  of  rescuing  them  from  oblivion,  is  to 
republish  them  in  a  convenient  and  permanent  form. 
In  concluding  to  adopt  this  plan,  I  act  in  accordance 
with  the  counsel  of  some  of  the  wisest  and  best  of 
men  within  my  knowledge. 

This  vol  nine,  as  its  name  suggests,  consists  of  dif- 
ferent sorts  of  compositions,  though  it  embraces  only 
a  small  proportion  of  what  I  have  written  and  pub- 
lished. The  work  is  divided  into  three  parts,  for  the 
convenience  of  readers. 

The  first  part  contains  short  essays  on  various  lit- 
erary, moral,  and  religious  topics  of  a  practical 
bearing,  to  the  exclusion  of  speculative  theology. 

The  second  part  is  filled  with  brief  biographical 
sketches  of  pious  individuals,  whose  character,  life, 
and  death,  I  have,  at  different  times,  had  occasion  to 


4  PEEFACE. 

notice,  and  whose  example  may  encourage  the  living 
in  their  Christian  course. 

The  third  part  consists  of  notes  of  travel.  These 
are  not  in  the  form  of  a  diary,  or  regular  journal, 
for  I  have  not  kept  any  thing  of  the  kind,  but  are 
made  up  mostly  of  journeys,  incidents,  and  observa- 
tions which  transpired  at  various  periods  during  my 
itinerant  life.  Among  others  will  be  found  the 
report  of  a  land  trip  from  St.  Louis  to  Texas,  A.  D. 
1841-42,  in  the  form  of  a  familiar  correspondence. 
Also,  a  similar  report  of  a  trip  to  the  Indian  country, 
west  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  in  1844. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  small  Miscellany  may  prove 
both  safe  and  profitable  for  plain  readers  in  general, 
and  especially  among  the  young;  and  as  there  is  no 
accessary  connection  between  the  general  parts  of 
the  volume,  such  as  have  but  little  time  for  reading, 
can  examine  the  table  of  contents  and  select  for 
themselves. 

T.  A.  Mokeis. 


CONTENTS. 
PART  I. 

3S  s  %  a  2  s  . 
The  Bible PaSe  9 


The  Tress  • 


13 


Houses  of  Worship ™ 

Loud  Preaching 23 

Parental  Duty 28 

The  Duty  of  Fasting 39 

For  Better,  for  Worse 57 

Human  Life 67 

Time  70 

Think  of  Death 73 

Pride  •  •  •- 75 

Humility 77 

Inequality  in  Property 79 

Comparative  Happiness 81 

Contentment 83 

Western  Style  of  Living 86 

Child  of  the  West 93 

Zeal »5 

Benevolence °8 

Selfishness 102 

Christian  Philanthropy 107 

Visiting  the  Sick 109 

Christmas H2 

New-Year H5 

Watch  Meeting H8 

Curiosity 119 

Age  of  Improvement 1-- 

Lnfluence  of  Fashion I27 

Loquacity 181 

The  Tongue I35 

Daxcing 137 

Objections  to  Profane  Swearing 143 

Falsehoods 146 

How  to  Prepare  Subjects  for  the  Penitentiary 155 

Beech-Log  School-House 156 

Burning  Cane I60 

Zoology — Alligator 162 

Happy  Colony 164 

Moral  Conflict 166 

1*  5 


o  CONTENTS. 

PART    II. 

Valentine  Cook Page  173 

Jesse  Waeker * 179 

William  B.  Christie 192 

Peace  in  Death — Mas.  Rust 201 

Bishop  Roberts 212 

Doctor  Levings 220 

Country  Funeral— Mrs.  Conret 227 


PART  III. 

Notts  of  Srsfctl. 

Itinerant  Work,  Reviewed  in  1839 237 

Our  Fathers 237 

Our  Travels 240 

Our  Circuits 245 

Our  Studies 250 

Our  Support 252 

Our  Enjoyments 259 

Incidents  of  Travel,  1836 263 

Traveling,  1841 271 

Land  Trip  from  St.  Louis  to  Texas 279 

Letter  I 279 

Letter  LI , 283 

Letter  HI 288 

Letter  IV 296 

LetterV 299 

Letter  VI 303 

Letter  Vn 310 

Letter  VILI 314 

Letter  EX 318 

Letter  X 322 

Letter  XI 326 

Letter  XH 328 

Letter  Xm 335 

Letter  XIV 340 

Trip  to  Indian  Mission  Conference,  1844 346 

Number  I 346 

Number  LI 352 

Number  HI 357 

Trip  North- West,  1848 361 

A  Cold  Trip,  1849 372 

Rural  Scenery — White  Mountains 3/7 


put  finl. 

ESSAYS. 


MISCELLANY 


THE  BIBLE. 

In  reading  mere  human  productions,  however  excellent, 
the  mind  becomes  weary.  The  most  attractive  work 
among  them,  on  the  second  or  third  perusal,  begins  to 
lose  its  interest.  But  not  so  of  the  Bible.  Drawn  from 
the  fountain  of  all  wisdom  and  goodness,  its  themes  are 
sublime,  its  depths  are  fathomless,  and  its  variety  is 
infinite.  The  oldest,  closest,  and  most  uniform  readers 
pronounce  it  always  new  and  ever  fresh.  Each  repeated 
perusal  leads  to  the  discovery  of  new  beauties  and  un- 
known excellences.  The  more  they  read,  the  more  they 
desire  to  read  it ;  and  the  longer  they  read,  the  better  they 
love  to  read  it.  The  Bible  is  emphatically  the  Book — 
the  Book  of  books — yea,  the  Book  of  God.  It  is  a  rich 
boon  from  our  heavenly  Father,  to  his  children  of  all  ages 
and  nations — the  people's  book — the  heavenly  chart,  with 
which  alone  life's  boisterous  seas  can  be  safely  navigated. 
Its  precepts  are  so  simple  that  the  most  ignorant  may 
understand  them,  while  its  mysteries  are  so  profound  that 
the  most  learned  could  never  have  invented  them.  If  the 
Bible  were  perfectly  comprehensible  in  all  its  parts,  by 
one  human  mind,  that  might  suggest  doubts  of  its  being 
a  revelation  from  heaven,  for  all  the  world  of  intellectual 
beings.  Its  sublime  mysteries,  so  far  from  discrediting, 
only  confirm  its  claims  to  a  divine  origin.  Many  of  the 
precious  truths  of  this  sacred  volume,  such  as  that  of  the 

9 


10  MISCELLANY. 

resurrection  of  the  bod}'-,  are  purely  matters  of  revelation, 
and  could  never  have  been  discovered  by  the  light  of 
reason.  The  same  may  be  said  of  all  things  future,  which 
the  prophets  have  made  known;  "For  the  prophecy  came 
not  in  old  time  by  the  will  of  man ;  but  holy  men  of  God 
spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  Hence, 
the  authority  of  its  commands,  the  terror  of  its  denuncia- 
tions, and  the  consolation  of  its  promises.  While  all 
things  in  the  Bible,  essentially  connected  with  doctrine, 
experience,  and  practice,  are  sufficiently  plain  for  ordinary 
readers,  its  resources  are  so  boundless,  as  to  call  into 
requisition  all  the  research  of  the  learned,  directed  by  the 
strongest  intellect,  without  exhaustion.  What  are  all  the 
treasures  of  classic  lore  compared  to  the  "word  of  life?" 
For  depth  of  wisdom,  beauty  of  style,  and  sublimity  of 
thought,  it  surpasses  the  sages  of  Greece,  the  orators  of 
Rome,  and  all  the  literati  of  modern  times.  The  far- 
famed  British,  and  other  poets,  are  thrown  into  the  shade 
by  the  book  of  Job,  the  Psalms  of  David,  and  the  pro- 
phetic visions  of  Isaiah.  All  the  works  of  fiction,  by  the 
most  popular  authors,  may  be  safely  challenged  to  pro- 
duce one  single  essay  that  would  bear  any  just  comparison 
to  the  simple,  veritable,  and  pathetic  narrative  of  Joseph 
and  his  brethren.  As  to  the  sermon  upon  the  mount,  and 
all  other  discourses  of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  it  is  enough 
to  recite  the  concession  of  his  enemies:  "Never  man 
spake  like  this  man." 

Why  should  a  man  expend  thousands  of  dollars  for  a 
mass  of  books,  and  commit  himself  to  the  toil  of  a  lifetime 
in  examining  them,  when,  for  a  few  shillings,  he  can 
obtain  the  Book  which  contains  more  wisdom,  and  is  of 
infinitely  more  importance  than  all  the  libraries  in  the 
world?  Nor  is  this  saying  too  much  for  the  Bible,  which 
dates  back  near  two  thousand  years  beyond  the  oldest 
history  extant,  and  by  prophecy  extends  forward  to  the 


E  8  S  A  T  S  .  11 

end  of  time.  If  all  human  productions,  from  the  first 
imperfect  scrawl  on  bark  or  skin,  down  to  the  ornamented 
volumes  of  1850,  be  placed  in  one  scale,  and  a  single, 
plain  copy  of  the  Bible  in  the  other,  in  point  of  real 
value,  it  outweighs  them  all.  Would  you  learn  the  origin 
of  the  world,  and  the  years  of  its  existence?  Instead  of 
resorting  to  geology,  and  dealing  in  uncertain  conjecture 
and  inference,  go  to  Genesis,  and  read  an  authentic  his- 
tory of  the  creation  of  all  things  from  nothing.  The 
earth  first  arose,  without  form,  and  void,  and  darkness 
covered  the  face  of  it;  but,  under  the  plastic  hand  of  the 
Creator,  assumed  its  proper  shape  and  function.  "And 
God  said,  Let  there  be  light:  and  there  was  light."  The 
sun  took  his  appropriate  position,  and  the  rolling  planets 
were  distributed  around  him,  so  as  to  receive  his  light 
and  heat.  The  whole  system  was  then  put  in  motion  by 
its  Author;  and,  for  near  six  thousand  years,  has  never, 
for  one  moment,  ceased  to  move.  As  yet  there  were  none 
to  till  the  earth,  or  rule  the  multitude  of  its  living  crea- 
tures; but  the  Lord  God  formed  man  out  of  the  dust, 
breathed  on  him  and  he  lived,  having  dominion  over  every 
livinof  thins:  on  the  earth.  From  his  rib,  God  made 
woman,  to  be  the  companion  and  helpmeet  of  man.  And 
from  them  have  descended  all  the  babbling  tribes  of 
humanity.  Would  you  know  whence  came  death  and  all 
the  woes  of  man?  Read  it  in  the  history  of  the  fall.  Do 
you  desire  to  learn  what  is  the  only  remedy  for  sin  and  its 
miseries?  It  is  all  comprehended  in  this,  Christ  died  for 
our  sins  and  rose  again  for  our  justification.  Are  you 
still  prostrated,  fettered,  and  powerless  under  the  bondage 
of  sin?  Accept  of  his  free,  unmerited  advocacy,  nothing 
doubting,  and  you  are  "redeemed,  regenerated,  and  dis- 
inthralled."  Such  are  the  history  and  doctrine  of  the 
Bible.  It  guides  the  pilgrim  stranger  through  this  howl- 
ing wilderness,  in  the  path  of  safety.     It  hangs  out  the 


12  MISCELLANY. 

lamp  of  its  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises,  to  pilot 
"him  over  the  gulf  stream  of  death ;  and  leads  him  forth 
with  songs  of  deliverance  to  join  his  friends  in  the  death- 
less regions  of  immortality,  where  the  river  of  life  glides 
forever,  amidst  the  beauties  of  perennial  spring. 

Now,  the  Bible,  which  alone  affords  any  satisfactory 
information  of  our  origin,  duty,  and  end,  or  any  assurance 
of  a  higher  and  happier  state  of  existence  than  the  pres- 
ent, is  alike  suited  to  all  classes  of  society,  and  to  all  the 
circumstances  of  human  life.  It  is  the  plain  Christian's 
manual,  and  the  learned  man's  text-book;  the  rich  man's 
monitor,  and  the  poor  man's  treasure;  the  traveler's 
guide,  and  the  mariner's  chart;  the  widow's  companion, 
and  the  orphan's  guardian.  It  is  the  basis  of  legislation, 
and  the  standard  of  morals;  it  binds  over  the  witness, 
juror,  attorney,  and  judge  to  a  future  reckoning,  and 
requires  the  administration  of  universal  justice,  according 
to  the  golden  rule,  of  doing  unto  all  men  as  we  would 
they  should  do  unto  us.  It  checks  the  turbulent  passions 
of  the  wicked,  protects  the  rights  of  the  innocent,  and 
enjoins  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  man.  It  tunes 
the  harp  of  the  musician,  furnishes  the  song  of  devotion, 
and  kindles  the  fires  of  eloquence.  It  imparts  light  to 
the  ignorant,  and  peace  to  the  broken-hearted;  relieves 
the  oppressed  of  their  burden,  and  breaks  the  wizard  spell 
of  superstition.  It  is  the  sick  man's  consolation,  and  sus- 
tains the  dying  man's  hope.  The  final  inference  is,  there 
should  be,  at  least,  as  many  Bibles  in  the  world  as  there 
are  rational  beings,  and  every  man,  woman,  and  child 
should  own  a  copy. 


ESSAYS.  13 


THE  PRESS. 
That  printing  machine  is  a  wonderful  invention.  Noth- 
ing could  supply  its  place  in  the  dissemination  of  knowl- 
edge. Through  its  agency  one  individual  may  speak  to 
millions,  not  only  while  he  lives,  but  when  sleeping  in  his 
grave.  Thoughts  committed  to  paper,  and  printed  in 
books  centuries  ago,  are  still  in  existence,  and  familiar  to 
reading  men  of  this  generation.  Thus,  by  the  power  of 
this  simple  engine,  distant  ages  are  brought  together ;  and, 
with  the  aid  of  translators,  men  of  all  languages  may 
converse  and  become  acquainted  with  each  other's  laws, 
customs,  and  religion,  through  the  press.  When  the 
world  was  dependent  on  scribes  to  multiply  copies  of 
manuscript,  only  limited  scraps  of  history  could  be  pre- 
served, and  the  knowledge  of  them  was  necessarily  con- 
fined to  a  few  individuals,  who  might  obtain  access  to  the 
huge  rolls  of  parchment  on  which  they  were  written. 
We  are  indebted  to  the  press  for  the  abundance  and 
cheapness  of  reading  in  this  age.  Had  not  the  art  of 
printing  been  discovered,  "even  the  word  of  life,"  con- 
tained in  the  records  of  salvation,  would  still  be  locked 
up  in  the  archives  of  the  university,  and  read  only  by  a 
few  learned  doctors  of  the  law.  The  press,  under  a  wise 
and  gracious  Providence,  has  thrown  the  Bible  among  the 
multitudes  of  common  people,  and  made  it  at  once  the 
parent's  companion  and  the  child's  school  book.  Thus, 
the  people  generally  in  this  favored  land  may  have  access 
to  the  fountain-head  of  knowledge,  which  is  able  to  make 
them  wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus.  So  it  is  in  all  Protestant  countries,  and  so  it 
should  be  in  all  the  world.  To  expect  the  people  to  find 
their  way  to  heaven   without   tho   holy   Scriptures,  is  as 


14  MISCELLANY. 

unreasonable  as  to  require  mariners  to  navigate  the  high 
seas  without  chart  or  compass.  Every  intelligent  Chris- 
tian can  adopt  the  sentiment  thus  figuratively  expressed : 

"The  Bible  is  my  chart, 

By  -which  the  seas  I  know ; 
I  can  not  with  it  part, 

It  rocks  and  sands  doth  show ; 
It  is  my  chart  and  compass  too, 
"Whose  needle  points  forever  true." 

Whenever  the  people  of  any  country  shall  be  furnished 
with  the  Bible,  and  sufficient  knowledge  of  letters  to  read 
it,  they  will  soon  understand  their  chartered  rights,  both 
as  Christians  and  citizens,  and  will  have  courage  to  assert 
them,  too,  in  defiance  of  popes  and  tyrants.  They,  whose 
usurped  authority  rests  upon  the  slender  foundation, 
"Ignorance  is  the  mother  of  devotion,"  have  important 
reasons  for  withholding  the  Bible  from  their  deluded  sub- 
jects. And,  to  them,  nothing  is  more  troublesome  than 
the  press:  it  is  difficult  for  them  to  exclude  from  their 
limited  dominions  all  the  light  which  it  sheds  upon  the 
world  around  them.  How  important,  then,  is  the  press 
in  multiplying  copies  of  the  sacred  writings,  and  removing 
obstructions  to  their  circulation!  Just  in  proportion  as 
pure  Christianity  progresses  and  prospers  in  the  world, 
sound  learning,  civil  liberty,  and  all  the  blessings  of  social 
life  will  advance  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and  no 
faster.  "Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation;  but  sin  is  a 
reproach  to  any  people/'  is  as  true  now  as  it  was  when 
Solomon  wrote  it. 

But  the  press,  like  all  other  benefits  conferred  upon 
man,  is  liable  to  be  abused  and  perverted  to  improper  use. 
While  "the  liberty  of  the  press"  is  to  be  maintained  by 
every  Christian  and  patriot,  care  should  be  taken  to  re- 
strain it  within  proper  bounds.  There  is  certainly  a 
marked  difference  between  the  liberty  of  the  press  and 


ESSAYS.  15 

the  licentiousness  of  it,  whether  viewed  in  the  political, 
literary,  or  religious  department  of  its  operations. 

The  political  press  should  teach  the  rights  of  man, 
expound  international  law,  advocate  the  principles  of  our 
free  institutions,  keep  the  people  advised  of  the  state  of 
commerce,  and  publish  general  intelligence.  But  it  should 
never  be  enlisted  in  the  cause  of  mobocracy,  or  dem- 
agogism,  or  such  party  measures  as  conflict  with  the 
general  good  of  the  country;  nor  should  it  ever  be  de- 
graded b}T  dealing  in  slander,  or  personal  invective,  or 
any  disgusting  details  of  private  scandal.  This  standard 
is  evidently  none  too  high.  But  if  every  political  news- 
paper which  falls  below  it  were  expunged  from  the  cata- 
logue, how  few  of  them  would  be  left!  How  many  politi- 
cal papers  are  there  in  the  United  States  which  do  not 
evince  more  zeal  for  their  respective  leaders  and  parties, 
than  they  do  for  their  country?  Which  of  them  will  not 
abuse  a  political  opponent  to  prevent  his  elevation,  or 
flatter  a  political  friend  for  the  remote  prospect  of  obtain- 
ing office  ?  Nay,  which  of  them  will  not  publish  fulsome 
notices  of  a  masquerade,  a  theater,  a  circus,  a  horse- 
race, or  a  tippling-house  for  the  paltry  sum  of  a  few  cents? 
''Straws  show  which  way  the  wind  blows,"  and  these 
objectionable  items  but  too  clearly  indicate  the  spirit  of 
the  political  press.  In  vain  may  it  attempt  to  reform  the 
people  till  it  reforms  itself. 

The  literary  press  operates  in  a  milder  atmosphere, 
sustains  a  relation  less  exciting,  and  occupies  a  position 
less  perilous,  and,  consequently,  is,  in  a  great  measure, 
clear  of  the  objections  above  named.  That  it  has  its  toils, 
perplexities,  and  discouragements  to  contend  with,  is  ad- 
mitted;  but  being  free  from  the  contaminating  influence 
of  office,  and  from  the  agitation  of  evil  passion,  it  meets 
these  difficulties  calmly,  patiently,  and  in  hope  of  ultimate 
success.     Beside,  its   toil   is  pleasant.     What   delightful 


16  M  1  S  C  E  L  L  A  iM  Y  . 

labor,  to  store  the  mind  with  knowledge,  and  then  employ 
it  in  erecting  monuments  of  science,  and  strewing  the 
garlands  of  literature  along  the  path  of  life  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  come  after!  Such  employment,  though  it 
may  promise  but  little  wealth,  and  no  sensual  pleasure, 
has  the  advantage  of  being  free  from  the  corrupting  influ- 
ence of  vicious  associations,  and  threatens  no  remorse  of 
conscience  to  be  endured  in  the  evening  of  life.  Still,  the 
literary  press  is  only  less  liable  to  abuse  than  the  political, 
and  not  wholly  secure  against  it.  The  appetites  of  its 
readers  are  various,  some  of  them  quite  vitiated  by  the 
use  of  improper  aliment;  hence  arises  a  temptation  to 
indulge  their  perverted  taste  to  the  injury  of  their  judg- 
ment and  general  vigor  of  character.  If  proof  be  de- 
manded, reference  may  be  had  to  all  the  varieties  of 
fiction,  from  the  less  offensive  novel,  down  to  the  common- 
place love  tale,  written  by  a  novice  for  some  would-be 
literary  periodical,  and  to  the  debilitating  and  contamina- 
ting influence  which  they  exert  upon  the  minds  and  char- 
acters of  their  deluded  readers.  All  tales  of  wild  adven- 
ture, whether  in  war  or  love,  are  highly  injurious  to  young 
readers  of  both  sexes.  They  not  only  lessen  the  inclina- 
tion for  study  and  the  desire  for  the  acquisition  of  useful 
knowledge,  but  they  fix  in  the  mind  erroneous  views  of 
men  and  things,  by  portraying  characters  which  never 
existed,  and  recording  events  which  never  transpired,  and 
thus  introducing  them  to  a  world  very  different  from  the 
one  in  which  they  live.  Walker's  definition  of  romancer 
is,  "A  liar,  a  forger  of  tales."  And  yet  thousands  of 
young  females,  whose  minds  are  naturally  sprightly  and 
amiable,  spend  their  days  and  nights  in  poring  and  weep- 
ing over  these  forgeries,  as  though  they  were  credible  and 
useful  histories.  Such  a  young  lady  has  received  an 
erroneous  education.  It  has  led  her  in  the  wrong  path, 
and  the  sooner  she  retraces  her  steps  the  better.     She  is 


ESSAYS.  IT 

in  danger  of  becoming  an  object  of  pity  in  the  estimation 
of  intelligent  people.  They  who  have  encouraged  her  to 
take  this  delusive  course  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  are 
justly  censurable. 

But  what  should  be  said  of  the  religious  press?     Its 
responsibility  is  as  much  greater  than  that  of  all  others, 
as  our  spiritual  and  eternal  interests  are  higher  than  those 
of  earth    and    time.     Mistakes   here    may  endanger    the 
everlasting  welfare  of  deathless   spirits;   yea,   spirits  re- 
deemed by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  already  placed 
upon  ground  of  possible  salvation.     The  press  which  is 
professedly  devoted   to   the   interest  of   religion,    should 
never  become    entangled  with   any   question   of   worldly 
policy,  or  of  popular  excitement,  or  of  personal  or  party 
conflict,  or  angry  controversy  on  any  subject  whatever. 
All  such  errors  tend  to  weaken  public  confidence  in  the 
religious  press,    and  to   divert   its  patronage   into   other 
channels.     It  is  worse  than  useless  to  teach  religion  in 
theory,  while  its  teachers  contradict  their  own  principles 
in  spirit  and  practice,  as  the  conclusion  which  naturally 
follows  is,  their  religion  makes  them  no  better  than  their 
neighbors.     The  common  sense  of  mankind  will  estimate 
the  real  value  of  every  system  and  every  enterprise  by 
its  practical  results.     If  a  press,  though  professedly  relig- 
ious, kindle  the  fire  of  contention,  raise  the  storm  of  angry 
passion,  and  indicate  a  spirit  of  malevolence,  it  will  be 
justly  regarded  as  an  engine  of  evil,  sowing  the  seeds  of 
discord  and  persecution.     Religion  would  be  far  better  off 
without  any  press,  than  with  one  which  only  betrays  her 
•  interest,  by  practically  renouncing  her  own  principles,  or 
with  any  number  of  presses  which  exhaust  their  energies 
by  combating  one  another.     What  folly  it  is  for  those  who 
are  professedly  aiming  to  accomplish  the  same  great  and 
good  object — the  conversion  of  the  world — to  turn  aside 
from  their  high   and    holy   calling,   and   wage  a  war  of 


15  MI&CELLAHY. 

mutual  extermination !  Every  consistent  Christian  sighs 
and  weeps  over  such  an  exhibition  of  human  depravity. 
Let  the  religious  press  be  restricted  to  its  appropriate 
work,  and  it  will  find  ample  employment  for  all  its  time, 
strength,  and  resources,  without  assuming  any  needless 
responsibility.  The  main  design  of  it  should  be  to  impart 
a  knowledge  of  that  religion  which  brings  "glory  to  God 
in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward 
men."  And  whatever  tends  to  the  accomplishment  of 
this  result,  should  be  encouraged  by  it.  Here  an  almost 
boundless  field  of  useful  enterprise  opens  to  view.  It 
embraces  the  regular  Christian  ministry  with  all  of  its 
intense  interest,  the  progress  of  revivals  under  the  minis- 
tration of  the  Gospel,  foreign  and  domestic  missions,  plans 
for  the  instruction  of  youth  and  childhood,  sanctified 
learning,  and  all  benevolent  associations  which  have  for 
their  object  the  glory  of  God  and  the  happiness  of  man. 
All  of  these  interests  are  to  be  noticed,  explained,  de- 
fended, and  encouraged,  by  presenting  the  truth  in  love, 
and  in  meekness  of  wisdom.  Surely  there  is  much  land 
to  be  possessed  and  cultivated  by  the  religious  press  be- 
fore the  peaceful  reign  of  Christ  shall  be  universally 
established  and  acknowledged.  Beside,  this  press  is  ex- 
pected to  furnish  the  whole  world  with  all  the  religious 
reading  which  it  needs,  or  may  need,  in  the  form  of  books, 
duly  assorted,  distinguishing  between  the  good  and  evil. 
The  work  is  vast  and  increasing,  both  in  extent  and  im- 
portance; but  the  means  for  its  accomplishment,  if  not 
yet  abundant,  are,  at  least,  accumulating.  The  gold  and 
the  silver  are  the  Lord's,  and  his  treasury  is  increasing. 
Presses  are  multiplying,  and  they  are  moving  under  a  full 
pressure  of  steam-power,  so  that  a  copy  of  the  Bible  can 
be  printed  in  a  minute ;  and  missionary  ships  are  bearing 
off  the  old  and  new  covenants  to  heathen  lands  by  the 
ton.     Only  let  the  religious  press  not  be  turned  aside  from 


ESSAYS.  19 

iv-s  own  proper  work,  and  it  will  prove  itself  an  invaluable 
auxiliary  to  the  Christian  ministry,  in  subjugating  the 
world  to  the  "obedience  of  Christ,"  and  raising  it  to 
holiness,  happiness,  and  heaven. 


HOUSES  OF  WORSHIP. 

There  has  been  perceptible  improvement  in  church 
building,  within  the  last  few  years,  in  several  particulars. 
Under  the  old  dispensation,  it  was  supposed  that  some 
difficulty  in  reaching  the  place  of  worship  was  a  necessary 
sacrifice  for  the  privilege  of  attending.  Hence,  village 
churches  were  located  in  the  country,  and  frequently  over 
a  creek,  and  on  top  of  the  highest  hill  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. But,  of  late  years,  it  has  been  ascertained  that  it 
is  easier  to  get  the  house  to  the  people  than  the  people  to 
the  house ;  and  now  village  churches  are  generally  erected 
as  near  the  center  of  population  as  practicable.  It  is  far 
better  to  pay  the  full  value  of  a  church  lot  in  the  proper 
place  than  to  have  one  for  nothing  in  the  wrong  place. 
Let  all  concerned  remember  it. 

Overgrown  houses  are  found  to  be  inconvenient  and 
unprofitable.  A  medium-sized  house  is  much  better. 
When  it  becomes  crowded  by  increase  of  population, 
instead  of  removing  it  to  make  way  for  one  of  mammoth 
dimensions,  let  it  stand  as  long  as  it  is  comfortable,  and 
build  another  the  same  size ;  and  when  the  second  is  full, 
then  a  third,  and  so  on.  Again :  it  has  been  fully  tested, 
that  cellars  do  not  answer  for  lecture-rooms,  Sabbath 
school-rooms,  or  class-rooms,  because  of  the  dampness  of 
them.  The  basement- story  should  be  entirely  above 
ground  to  be  comfortable  and  useful.  Side  galleries 
obstruct  both  sight  and  sound ;  they  are  the  usual  resort 


'20  MISCELLANY. 

of  rude  boys  and  other  comers  and  goers  during  public 
service,  and  a  fruitful  source  of  disturbance,  and  may 
well  be  dispensed  with.  But  an  end  gallery  over  the 
vestibule,  to  hold  the  Sabbath  school  during  sermon,  is  a 
convenience  to  the  teachers  and  classes,  as  it  affords  them 
comfortable  seats,  where  they  can  see  and  hear,  and  to 
which  they  have  free  access  in  a  body,  without  disturb- 
ance to  any  one,  leaving  the  lower  floor  for  the  balance 
of  the  congregation.  The  old  style  of  circular  pulpits, 
ascended  by  winding,  narrow  stairs,  and  running  a  minis- 
ter's head  nearly  up  to  the  ceiling,  so  as  to  require  him 
to  look  down  and  the  people  to  look  up  to  see  and  hear, 
were  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  want  of  judgment.  It 
is  cause  of  thanksgiving  that  their  days  are  numbered, 
and  that  ministers  are  allowed  to  speak  horizontally,  with 
room  to  turn  round.  And  it  is  equally  fortunate  that  the 
high  fronts,  constructed  originally  for  reading  sermons, 
which  concealed  the  speaker's  person,  except  his  head  and 
neck,  have  passed  away,  allowing  the  minister  to  be  seen, 
and  to  use  his  hands  without  raising  them  overhead.  As 
to  the  position  of  the  pulpit,  it  should  always  be  at  the 
far  end  from  the  doors,  not  between  them ;  otherwise  there 
will  be  much  inconvenience. 

But  while  much  has  been  done  to  render  our  houses  of 
worship  comfortable,  much  remains  to  be  done.  Outside 
steps,  high  enough  to  land  the  people  on  the  floor  of  the 
church  proper,  are  not  only  expensive,  if  made  durable, 
but  frequently  mar  the  beauty  of  the  building.  A  still 
greater  objection  is,  they  are  always  inconvenient  to  ladies, 
soiling  their  Sabbath  dresses  in  passing  up  and  down  the 
muddy  steps;  and,  when  there  is  ice  or  sleet,  they  are 
dangerous.  It  is  a  much  better  plan  to  pass  from  the 
street  into  the  lower  vestibule  ;  thence,  by  inner  stairways, 
which  are  always  dry,  to  the  upper  vestibule,  and  into  the 
church  proper.     Church  windows,  in  all  cases,  should  be 


so  constructed  that  the  lower  sash  could  be  raised  in  hot 
weather,  and  the  upper  sash  lowered,  when  necessary,  to 
admit  fresh  air  in  cool  weather,  without  letting  streams 
of  cold  wind  directly  on  to  the  people.  The  light  should 
be  let  in  sufficiently  for  all  to  read  by  without  difficulty, 
and  to  produce  a  cheerful  appearance,  and  yet  it  should 
be  well  diffused  and  mellowed,  so  as  to  be  easy  to  the 
eye,  changing  the  blinds  as  the  sun  turns,  and  avoiding 
the  pain  occasioned  by  concentrated  sunbeams  through 
one  or  two  windows,  while  the  shady  side  is  all  dark, 
when  it  alone  should  be  open.  At  night,  in  the  absence 
of  gas-light,  the  house  should  be  thoroughly  illuminated 
with  lamp-light,  relieving  the  minister  and  his  hearers 
from  the  intolerable  annoyance  of  a  sexton  passing  round 
in  time  of  sermon  to  snuff  candles,  which  he  is  almost 
certain  to  inflict  just  at  the  greatest  point  of  interest  in 
the  discourse.  A  church,  to  be  healthy  and  agreeable, 
should  be  kept  clean,  and  well  aired,  relieving  it,  after 
each  service,  of  the  contaminated  atmosphere  so  often 
inhaled  and  breathed,  and  supplying  it  with  fresh.  Beside 
all  this  care,  every  church  should  have  a  ventilator  in  the 
upper  ceiling,  allowing  the  heated  and  putrid  air  to  escape 
as  it  accumulates,  which  would  prevent  one-half  of  all 
the  stupor  and  drowsiness  so  common  in  our  crowded 
assemblies,  and  keep  all  lively  and  vigorous. 

One  of  the  most  essential  things  to  comfort  in  church, 
is  to  have  it  just  warm  enough,  and  not  too  warm.  When 
people  are  suffering  with  cold,  and  thinking  of  being  made 
sick  by  it,  they  can  not  enjoy  preaching  or  engage  in 
prayer  or  praise  to  much  profit;  and  when  they  are  nearly 
suffocated  with  stove  heat  it  is  still  worse.  How  often 
does  the  minister  find  himself,  of  an  evening,  where  the 
stove  heat  has  been  kept  up  all  day  in  the  same  dry,  con- 
taminated air,  destitute  both  of  physical  and  mental 
energy,   with    a    dull,   drowsy  congregation   before    him, 


22  MISCELLANY. 

simply  owing  to  the  state  of  atmosphere  in  the  house  ! 
During  the  service,  he  is  covered  with  a  clammy  sweat, 
and  when  he  steps  out  into  the  fresh  air,  he  feels  as  if  a 
bucket  of  cold  water  was  poured  upon  his  head,  and  run- 
ning all  over  him.  No  marvel  that  he  should  have  bron- 
chial disease,  or  something  worse.  Such  exposures  destroy 
the  health  of  many  excellent  ministers,  and  even  the  lives 
of  some,  thus  cutting  them  off  in  the  midst  of  their  use- 
fulness. "How  may  this  great  evil  be  remedied?"  is  a 
question  worthy  of  serious  consideration.  Perhaps  the 
following  suo-o-estions  mio-ht  be  of  some  use.  Let  sextons 
be  told,  what  very  few  of  them  seem  to  know,  that  there 
is  a  difference  between  a  moderate  day  and  a  very  cold 
one  in  this  changeable  climate,  and  that  less  fuel  is  requi- 
site on  the  former  than  the  latter.  Let  it  be  explained  to 
them,  and  repeated  till  they  understand  it,  that  there  is 
really  such  a  principle  as  animal  heat  in  the  human  sys- 
tem ;  and,  consequently,  if  a  church  be  made  comfortably 
warm,  as  it  always  should  be  before  the  congregation 
assemble,  and  then  filled  with  living  men  and  women, 
and  the  doors  shut,  it  will  certainly  remain  warm  till  they 
disperse,  without  adding  any  more  fuel.  There  can  be  no 
mistake  in  this  matter.  If  the  sexton  can  not  find  a 
lodgment  for  these  simple  facts  in  his  cranium,  so  as  to 
regulate  the  temperature  of  the  house,  hang  up  a  large 
thermometer  in  it,  and  tell  him  when  the  mercury  rises 
above  a  certain  mark,  to  lower  the  heat,  and  when  it  sinks 
below  a  certain  other  mark,  to  raise  the  heat.  No  matter 
about  his  comprehending  the  principle,  if  he  can  only 
learn  the  use  of  the  instrument.  Finally :  let  the  trustees 
provide  the  proper  number  of  stoves,  and  put  them  up  in 
the  right  place.  Medium-sized  churches,  containing  say 
eight  hundred  people,  require  two  stoves,  which  should  be 
placed  near  the  doors;  the  further  from  the  pulpit  the 
better,  if  they  be  only  in  the  house.     Heated  air  rises. 


ESSAYS.  23 

If  the  stoves  be  near  the  pulpit,  the  heat  strikes  the 
speaker  in  his  elevated  position  so  forcibly  as  to  embarrass 
and  afflict  him.  Recently,  I  preached  in  a  church  con- 
taining four  stoves,  two  of  them  near  the  altar,  one  on 
each  side.  It  was  a  mild  and  beautiful  Sabbath,  preceded 
by  several  rainy,  disagreeable  ones.  The  sexton  antici- 
pated what  was  realized,  a  full  house,  and,  therefore,  filled 
all  the  stoves  with  fuel  about  the  time  the  people  began  to 
assemble.  By  the  time  I  got  fairly  under  way  preaching, 
the  fire  took  effect  in  earnest,  and  turned  my  face  near  its 
own  color;  for  the  blood  rushed  to  the  brain,  and  I  felt 
like  falling;  so  that  I  had  to  desist  from  preaching,  and 
commenced  begging  for  less  fire  and  more  air.  The  doors 
were  thrown  wide  open,  and  let  sluices  of  fresh  air  on  to 
the  congregation,  greatly  to  the  relief  of  some ;  but  a  few 
invalids  took  fright,  and,  lest  they  should  catch  cold,  left 
for  home,  and  we  saw  no  more  of  them.  I  sat  down  till 
the  house  became  cool  enough  to  close  the  doors,  and  the 
people  composed,  and  then  resumed  the  discourse.  Per- 
haps a  thousand  people  were  incommoded,  and  the  sermon 
interrupted  by  that  piece  of  indiscretion,  which,  however, 
was  nothing  but  might  occur  frequently,  where  the  sex- 
ton supposes  that  he  must  build  the  largest  fire  when  the 
weather  is  finest  and  the  house  fullest,  and  the  least  fire 
when  the  day  is  stormy  and  few  attend — the  rule  by  which 
most  sextons  practically  operate  in  their  line  of  business. 
In  regard  to  this  subject  we  need  a  reformation,  and  must 
have  it,  or  the  interests  of  public  worship  will  suffer 
immensely. 


LOUD  PREACHING. 
The  object  of  preaching  is  to  persuade  men,  women,  and 
hildren  to  be  good,  that  they  may  be  happy.     To  accom- 


24  MISCELLANY. 

plish  this  object,  every  preacher  should  aim  to  instruct 
and  impress  his  hearers  by  a  proper  use  of  divine  truth* 
To  assist  our  preachers  in  the  performance  of  these  duties, 
sundry  directions  are  given  in  the  Discipline,  recommend- 
ing some  things  as  proper,  and  pointing  out  others  as 
improper.  Among  the  latter  is  that  of  "speaking  too 
loud."  But  in  ascertaining  what  is  too  loud,  reference 
must  be  had  to  many  things ;  such  as,  our  experience  as 
speakers,  our  observation  as  hearers,  the  collected  sense 
of  enlightened  Christian  assemblies,  and  the  natural  pecu- 
liarities of  the  persons  speaking.  By  attention  to  these 
several  particulars,  we  may  arrive  at  conclusions  suffi- 
ciently correct.  Experience  will  teach  us  what  neither 
books  nor  men  can  satisfactorily  explain ;  that  is,  how  to 
use  our  strength  to  the  best  advantage.  By  observing 
both  good  and  bad  speaking  in  others,  we  will  be  assisted  in 
correcting  our  own  faults.  The  opinion  of  an  enlightened 
community  will  aid  us  in  deciding  on  the  relative  advan- 
tages and  disadvantages  of  the  different  methods  of  speak- 
ing. And  strict  attention  to  natural  peculiarities  will  ena- 
ble us  to  judge  charitably  of  our  brethren.  To  require  all 
men  to  speak  alike  is  as  unreasonable  as  it  is  unprofitable. 
Some  men  naturally  speak  loud  without  any  painful  exer- 
tion. These  have  a  decided  advantage  over  others,  provi- 
ded the  gift  be  well  cultivated ;  but  unless  they  are  careful 
they  will  become  so  boisterous  as  to  be  unpleasant.  Oth- 
ers speak  low,  and  can  not  do  otherwise,  without  speaking 
unnaturally,  which  is  far  worse ;  hence,  it  follows,  what  is 
too  low  for  one  may  be  too  high  for  another. 

It  will  be  of  some  service  to  read  and  study  the  various 
rules  of  rhetoric,  especially  in  correcting  improprieties; 
but  whoever  adheres  implicitly  to  them,  will  be  a  dull 
speaker  all  his  life — a  mere  imitator  of  school  oratory.  A 
few  years'  experience  and  observation  are  worth  the  whole 
of  them,  to  anv  man  of  o-ood   taste  and  sound  discretion. 


ESSAYS.  25 

A.s  far  as  public  speaking-  can  be  controlled  by  rules  at 
.all,  those  rules  should  be  agreed  on  with  reference  to  the 
convenience  of  the  speaker  as  well  as  the  hearer.  The 
rule  which  requires  the  speaker  to  commence  just  so  that 
the  farthest  person  in  the  assembly  can  hear  distinctly, 
can  be  enforced  only  when  there  is  a  correspondence  be- 
tween the  size  of  the  congregation  and  the  strength  of  the 
speaker's  voice.  If  the  assembly  be  large  and  the  voice 
of  the  speaker  feeble,  he  can  not  practice  on  this  rule, 
without  commencing  on  a  key  too  high  for  him  to  sustain  ; 
and  the  certain  consequence  will  be  a  failure  throughout. 
It  would  be  better  for  the  remote  hearer  to  lose  a  score 
of  words  at  the  commencement,  than  for  both  speaker 
and  hearers  to  be  pained  all  the  way  through.  Even  in  a 
large  assembly,  the  speaker  should  commence  at  the  mid- 
dle of  his  voice,  at  that  key  on  which  he  speaks  most 
naturally  and  easily.  As  no  one  can  sing  with  facility 
and  pleasure  when  the  tune  is  too  high  or  too  low,  neither 
can  any  man  speak  with  ease  and  energy  unless  he  start 
with  the  right  pitch  of  voice. 

From  these  reflections  we  may  arrive  at  the  following 
conclusions: 

To  "speak  too  loud,"  is  to  speak  louder  than  is  neces- 
sary, to  be  heard  by  all  present.  For  instance,  if  a  man 
be  preaching  or  praying  in  a  private  room,  or  a  small, 
close  chapel,  where  the  voice  is  easily  heard,  to  extend  it 
to  the  utmost  is  not  only  useless,  but  highly  injurious, 
producing  such  a  roar  and  confusion  of  sounds  as  to  de- 
stroy the  sense  of  the  words  and  bewilder  the  hearers. 
Such  a  method  of  preaching,  even  if  it  could  be  performed 
with  convenience  to  the  speaker,  is  only  tolerable  to  the 
hearers  in  open  space,  say  under  a  grove  at  camp  meet- 
ing. In  a  close  house  it  is  extremely  unpleasant;  and  if 
to  a  noisy  be  added  a  hurried  method,  it  is  scarcely  to  be 
endured. 

3 


26  MISCELLANY. 

A  man  speaks  too  loud  whenever  he  assumes  a  tone 
beyond  his  natural  strength,  be  that  much  or  little.  He 
that  speaks  with  painful  exertion  to  himself,  never  fails  to 
produce  painful  sensations  in  his  audience.  Speaking  in 
an  easy,  natural  tone,  with  suitable  earnestness,  on  a 
religious  subject,  will  often  melt  and  move  a  whole  as- 
sembly ;  while  the  same  words,  delivered  with  unnatural 
screaming.,  by  the  same  minister,  to  the  same  hearers, 
will  only  produce  hardness  and  disgust.  This  fact  is 
known  to  all  who  have  attended  strictly  to  these  things, 
and  may  be  known  to  any  that  will  be  at  the  trouble  to 
examine  for  themselves. 

What,  then,  is  the  use  of  hallooing?  It  affords  no 
proof  that  the  preacher  has  more  skill ;  that  he  is  more 
prayerful,  or  even  that  he  is  more  zealous  than  others, 
who  let  their  moderation  be  known  to  all  men ;  for  noise 
is  no  more  essential  to  true  Christian  zeal,  than  fine  style 
is  to  humble,  sincere  prayer.  Again:  hallooing  is  not 
essential  to  a  minister's  success,  but  often  injures  it;  souls 
are  not  converted  by  physical  force,  nor  is  the  Church 
built  up  by  empty  sound ;  but  men  are  saved  through  faith 
in  Christ,  regenerated  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  edified  by 
a  faithful  exhibition  of  Gospel  truth.  When  preaching 
the  Gospel,  it  is  necessary  to  speak  loud  enough  to  be  well 
heard  under  all  ordinary  circumstances,  and  to  give  force 
to  the  sentiment  delivered ;  all  beyond  this  is  not  only 
superfluous,  but  subversive  of  good  teaching  and  devo- 
tional feeling.  If  the  preacher  would  elevate  the  feelings 
of  his  audience,  he  must  restrain  his  own  wTithin  proper 
bounds.  He  may  enter  the  pulpit  with  feelings  excited 
by  his  own  reflection  on  the  message  to  be  delivered ;  but 
those  of  the  people  are  undisturbed ;  their  attention  must 
be  fixed,  and  their  judgment  convinced,  before  their  sen- 
sibilities can  be  reached.  This  done,  heart  responds  to 
heart,  sympathy  intermingles  with  sympathy,,  as  the  drops 


ESSAYS.  27 

of  water  run  together,  and  the  warm-hearted  preacher 
carries  his  congregation  with  him  wherever  the  practical 
bearings  of  the  subject  direct  his  course.  This  conquest, 
however,  is  not  the  effect  of  noise,  but  of  simple  truth, 
attended  by  the  Divine  blessing.  In  this  state  of  excite- 
ment the  preacher  may  extend  his  voice  as  much  as  it  will 
bear,  without  throwing  any  damper  on  the  feelings  of  the 
people,  because  they  now  feel  noisy  themselves;  but 
whenever  he  gets  beyond  the  strength  of  his  voice,  and 
loses  the  control  of  himself,  he  will  no  longer  maintain  the 
control  of  the  people.  Any  minister  who  will  make  a  fair 
trial,  may  satisfy  himself,  in  a  short  time,  that  he  can  dis- 
pense with  his  screaming  without  any  diminution  of  zeal, 
faith,  comfort,  or  usefulness,  besides  promoting  his  own 
health  and  good  standing  among  all  the  judicious  of  bis 
Hock. 

The  evils  of  speaking  too  loud  are  numerous,  and  ap- 
parent to  all  well-informed  people.  Allow  me  here  to 
name  a  few  of  them  for  the  benefit  of  all  concerned. 

The  speaker  becomes  embarrassed  b}T  his  own  vehe- 
mence, which  carries  him  beyond  the  feelings  of  his  con- 
gregation. 

His  countenance  being  distorted  by  painful  effort,  ren- 
ders his  appearance  disagreeable. 

The  sweet,  musical  tones  of  his  voice,  which  would 
exert  a  favorable  influence  on  his  hearers,  are  exchanged 
for  ravings  that  secure  his  own  confusion  and   the   dis- 

o 

appointment  of  his  audience,  who  are  pained  for  the 
preacher,  when  they  would  be  impressed  with  his  subject 
if  rightly  managed. 

By  an  imprudent  waste  of  strength  in  the  forepart  of 
the  discourse,  the  speaker  is  left  without  any  where  he 
needs  it  most;  that  is,  in  the  application. 

The  preacher's  lungs  are  tortured,  his  nervous  system 
shattered,   his    spirits,   after   undue    excitement,    become 


28  MISCELLANY. 

depressed,  his  general  health  impaired,  his  life  shortened, 
his  usefulness  cut  off,  and  he  dies  a  martyr  to  his  own 
imprudence. 

In  the  autumn  of  1824  brother  H.  was  appointed  as 
junior  preacher  with  me  on  Red  River  circuit,  in  Middle 
Tennessee.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  promise  to  the 
Church,  in  almost  every  respect,  except  the  unfortunate 
habit  of  screaming  in  his  pulpit  and  other  public  exer- 
cises. In  a  short  time  he  complained  of  a  pain  in  his 
breast.  He  was  faithfully  admonished  by  myself  and 
others  to  let  his  moderation  be  known  to  all  men,  or  he 
would  shorten  his  days  and  destroy  his  usefulness.  He, 
however,  pleaded  that  reformation  in  his  case  was  impracti- 
cable, and  continued  to  preach,  exhort,  and  pray  at  the 
top  of  his  voice  with  as  much  effort  as  a  drowning  man 
would  halloo  for  help.  The  consequence  was,  his  lungs 
became  diseased,  so  that  he  broke  down  that  conference 
year,  and  shortly  after  died,  and,  as  I  was  informed, 
lamenting  his  intemperate  exertions.  Some  may  wear 
longer  than  others,  but  all  habitual  screamers,  sooner  or 
later,  destroy  their  health  and  prospect  of  usefulness. 
The  maxim,  that  a  minister  is  immortal  till  his  work  is 
done,  admits  of  one  exception  at  least;  that  is,  he  may 
kill  himself  under  a  mistaken  idea  that  his  success  de- 
pends on  loud  speaking. 


PARENTAL  DUTY. 
It  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  nourish  their  children  with 
food  convenient  for  them.  In  all  practicable  cases,  they 
should  first  have  what  the  Creator  designed,  the  whole- 
some fluid  of  their  mother's  breast;  and  subsequently 
what  agrees  with  them  best — not  candy,  preserves,  or  rich 


ESSAYS.  29 

cake,  which  only  injure  their  health  and  vitiate  their 
taste — but  plain,  simple  aliment,  such  as  bread,  milk, 
and  fruits,  and  digestible  meats,  dealt  out  at  regular, 
stated  times,  and  in  reasonable  quantities. 

Parents  should  clothe  their  children  comfortably.  Very 
many  injure  the  health  of  their  infants,  by  keeping  them 
too  warmly  clad,  and  too  much  excluded  from  the  air,  not 
observing  that  the  animal  heat  in  children  is  much  greater 
than  in  older  persons.  This  evil  should  be  guarded 
against,  as  a  slight  injury,  inflicted  on  the  constitution  in 
infancy,  may  be  lasting  as  life.  Another  error,  quite  too 
common  among  parents,  is,  dressing  their  children  in  gay 
and  costly  style,  with  red  shoes,  shining  buttons,  fringes 
and  ruffles,  tassels  and  feathers,  as  if  they  were  young 
officers  in  the  navy  or  army.  This  is  all  wrong,  being 
not  only  a  waste  of  money,  but  injurious  to  the  children, 
by  pampering  the  natural  pride  of  their  hearts,  and  giving 
them  false  notions  of  their  personal  importance.  Their 
clothing  should  be  cheap  and  plain,  but  neat  and  com- 
fortable, according  to  climate  and  season.  They  should 
be  made  to  fit  easy,  and  be  kept  whole  and  clean;  for  rags 
are  disgraceful,  and  filth  is  loathsome.  Some  apologize  for 
not  keeping  their  children  clean  on  the  ground  that  dirt  is 
healthy;  but  this  is  a  mistake.  The  reason  why  the  chil- 
dren of  the  poor  are  usually  more  healthy  than  those  of 
the  rich,  is  not  that  they  are  more  dirty,  but  because  they 
live  on  simple  diet,  and  have  plenty  of  exercise,  without 
which  no  one  can  enjoy  perfect  health.  Children  should 
be  kept  just  as  clean,  both  in  their  person  and  apparel,  as 
is  consistent  with  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  open  air  daily, 
and  no  more ;  for  to  confine  them  to  their  chairs  and 
chambers  by  the  week,  lest  they  should  get  their  aprons 
soiled,  is  to  ruin  their  health  for  the  sake  of  appearance. 

Another  duty  of  parents  is,  to  protect  their  small  chil- 
dren from  danger.     Whatever  comes  into  the  hand  of  a 

3* 


30  MISCELLANY. 

child  is  immediately  transferred  to  his  mouth ;  therefore*, 
nothing  should  be  left  within  his  reach  which  will  poison 
or  strangle  him ;  nor  should  he  be  left  unguarded,  where 
there  is  danger  of  falling,  or  being  trodden  under  foot,  or 
burnt,  or  scalded,  because  many,  by  these  means,  are 
destroyed,  and  perhaps  some  through  the  carelessness  of 
those  in  charge  of  them.  When  large  enough  to  run, 
they  should  not  be  allowed  to  wander  alone  into  the 
streets  or  highways,  lest  they  be  run  over  by  horses  and 
carriages;  nor  should  small  children  ever  be  allowed  to 
go  alone  to  rivers,  lakes,  or  mill-ponds,  lest  they  be 
drowned ;  or  to  a  barn-raising,  boat-launching,  or  the  like, 
for  fear  of  being  crushed  to  death. 

It  is  also  the  duty  of  parents  to  take  care  of  their  chil- 
dren in  sickness.  This  implies  timely  prescription  and 
proper  remedies  duly  administered,  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
doubtful  experiments,  whether  of  quackery  or  ignorance ; 
also  watching  with  diligence,  and  nursing  with  care,  which 
are  often  of  more  importance  than  medicine.  There  are 
but  few  things,  if  any,  in  all  the  catalogue  of  parental 
duties  which  draw  so  heavily  upon  the  sympathies  and 
the  constitution  of  parents,  as  taking  care  of  their  afflicted 
offspring ;  and  yet  no  duty  is  performed  with  such  interest 
and  perseverance,  because  parental  affection  takes  no 
account  of  sacrifice  when  the  life  of  a  beloved  son  or 
daughter  is  in  peril.  If  health  be  restored,  the  parents 
are  compensated  for  all  their  toil  and  care;  and,  should 
death  ensue,  the  effort  to  save,  though  ineffectual,  is  not 
regretted. 

Another  duty,  which  parents  are  very  generally  anxious 
to  perform,  is,  providing  for  the  wants  of  their  children  in 
future.  Beside  making  provision  for  their  present  com- 
fort, it  is  desirable  for  children  to  have  a  small  capital 
with  which  to  commence  the  permanent  business  of  life, 
and  a  moderate  outfit  when  they  get  married  and  assume 


KSSAYS.  31 

the  responsibility  of  housekeepers.  This,  in  many  in- 
stances, they  may  be  put  in  a  way  to  earn  for  themselves 
by  the  time  it  is  needed ;  but  when  that  can  not  be  done, 
then  it  is  right  and  proper  they  should  be  aided  and 
encouraged  in  the  commencement.  But  more  than  a 
moderate  sum  to  help  in  the  outset  is  useless.  And  as  to 
giving  them  large  fortunes,  it  is  a  real  injury,  and  in  most 
instances  a  ruinous  misfortune  ;  because  it  leads  to  extrav- 
agant calculations  and  outlays  of  money,  carelessness  in 
business,  or  perhaps  to  dispense  with  all  business,  and 
resort  to  traveling  and  pleasure,  till  they  become  bank- 
rupts, and  are  doomed  to  misery  for  life.  Let  this  be 
remembered  by  those  who  are  laying  up  largely  for  their 
children,  while  they  are  indulged  in  idleness  and  prodi- 
gality ;  for  such  a  course,  though  intended  as  kindness,  is 
cruelty  to  them.  And,  beside  all  this,  no  man  can  hoard 
up  great  estates  for  his  children,  to  the  neglect  of  the 
claims  of  charity  and  religion,  without  endangering  his 
own  salvation:  ''Woe  unto  you  that  are  rich!  for  ye 
have  received  your  consolation." 

One  of  the  most  important  duties  of  parents  is,  to 
govern  their  children.  Family  government  was  the  first 
ever  instituted  for  the  well-being  of  human  society,  and  it 
is  still  the  most  important,  because  the  whole  race  of  man 
is  divided  into  families  ;  so  that,  if  each  family  be  gov- 
erned, all  will  be  brought  under  domestic  rule  and  order, 
and  thereby  prepared  for  civil  and  ecclesiastical  govern- 
ment. Indeed,  so  far  as  children  are  concerned,  and  all 
are  children  at  first,  there  is  none  but  domestic  govern- 
ment; and  if  they  be  not  learned  to  render  obedience  to 
their  parents  in  childhood,  it  will  be  difficult  for  them,  in 
after  life,  to  become  obedient  subjects  of  any  government. 
By  a  wise  arrangement  of  our  Creator,  it  is  made  the  duty 
of  parents  to  rule  and  children  to  obey;  and  a  mutual 
performance   of   these   duties   constitutes  a  well-ordered 


32  MISCELLANY. 

family,  while  the  neglect  of  them  leads  to  disorder  and 
misery.  Young  children  should  be  controlled  by  kindness 
and  persuasion,  if  practicable ;  but  when  such  considera- 
tions fail,  resort  should  be  had  to  force,  discreetly  exer- 
cised. We  are  not  in  favor  of  using  the  rod  frequently, 
freely,  or  for  small  offenses ;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  secure 
proper  obedience;  indeed,  they  who  whip  most  usually 
govern  least,  because  they  thereby  lose  the  affection  of 
the  child,  and  with  it  all  controlling  influence,  except  the 
fear  of  punishment.  But,  by  some  means,  the  child  must 
be  learned  at  first,  and  never  allowed  to  forget  the  lesson, 
that  he  must  obey  his  parents  in  all  things.  And  let  it  be 
remembered,  any  attempt  to  enforce  obedience  which  fails 
of  the  object  in  view,  is  worse  than  no  effort  at  all.  The 
point  must  be  gained;  and  when  subjection  is  once  secured 
it  is  easily  maintained. 

So  soon  as  children  are  capable  of  understanding  the 
ground  of  their  responsibility,  moral  considerations  should 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  Much  can  be  done  in 
securing  the  ends  of  good  government,  by  teaching  chil- 
dren the  first  principles  of  religion,  and  especially  by  let- 
ting them  know  that  God  requires  them  to  honor  their 
parents:  "For  God  commanded,  saying,  Honor  thy  father 
and  mother:  and,  He  that  curseth  father  or  mother,  let 
him  die  the  death."  Parental  authority,  then,  is  of  so 
much  importance,  that  we  must  maintain  it,  or  give  our 
children  over  to  the  righteous  judgments  of  Heaven. 
Again:  Solomon  says,  "The  rod  and  reproof  give  wis- 
dom :  but  a  child  left  to  himself  bringeth  his  mother  to 
shame."  That  is,  timely  correction  and  suitable  admoni- 
tion make  a  child  obedient  and  happy ;  but  if  left  to  fol- 
low his  own  perverse  inclination,  without  restraint,  he 
disgraces  himself  and  best  friend.  The  truth  of  this 
maxim  is  verified  constantly  in  our  own  day  and  country. 
Who  does  not  know  that  ungoverned  families  afford  om 


ESSAYS.  33 

chief  supplies  of  street  loafers  and  vagabonds,  our  horse- 
racers,  blacklegs,  prostitutes,  and  felons  ?  Parents  should 
exert  all  their  authority  and  influence  over  their  children 
when  young,  to  prevent  the  formation  of  those  habits  of 
insubordination  which  lead  to  such  calamitous  results ;  for 
when  children  once  become  habitually  disobedient,  they 
are  ever  after  impatient  of  restraint,  and  the  very  worst 
consequences  may  be  expected.  On  the  other  hand, 
every  thing  commendable  may  be  anticipated  of  those 
who,  being  ruled  with  parental  authority,  tempered  with 
love,  learn  to  submit  with  pleasure  and  gratitude.  They 
have  the  promise  of  a  long  and  happy  life,  which,  for 
their  encouragement,  is  here  inserted:  "Children,  obey 
your  parents  in  the  Lord :  for  this  is  right.  Honor  thy 
father  and  mother,  (which  is  the  first  commandment  with 
promise,)  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee,  and  thou  mayest 
live  long  on  the  earth." 

It  is  a  very  prominent  duty  of  parents  to  educate  their 
children  for  usefulness  in  this  life.  The  first  material  part 
of  such  an  education  consists  in  forming  industrious  habits, 
by  regular  application  to  some  lawful  business.  A  child 
who  is  allowed  to  be  habitually  idle,  and  select  his  own 
amusements,  will  very  probably  be  a  lazy  man,  and,  con- 
sequently, unfit  for  any  department  of  life.  No  man  of 
indolent  habits  succeeds  in  any  calling  or  profession,  either 
in  Church  or  state.  Those  who  think  it  a  disgrace  for 
their  children  to  labor  with  their  hands  for  a  living,  are 
training  them  for  drones  in  society.  Every  male  and  fe- 
male should  be,  early  in  life,  put  to  regular  manual  labor. 
It  would  be  good  for  their  health  and  fortunes,  as  well  as 
their  reputation  and  happiness.  Boys  might  labor  to 
advantage  in  the  agricultural  or  mechanical  branches  of 
business,  and  girls  in  the  domestic  department.  But  any 
lawful  business  whatever  is  preferable  to  idleness;  for 
idleness   is    the    school  of   vice,   and   the  way  to    ruin. 


3J:  MISCELLANY. 

There  is  no  good  excuse  for  any,  rich  or  poor,  except  the 
want  of  health ;  and  every  child  should  be  taught  the 
apostle's  doctrine,  "  That  if  any  would  not  work,  neither 
should  he  eat." 

Another  material  part  of  a  useful  education  consists  in 
being  learned  to  think,  which  is  of  more  practical  import- 
ance than  a  diploma  from  a  college.  Many  young  men 
seem  to  be  borne  along  through  a  college  course,  by  their 
classmates  and  teachers,  with  but  little  knowledge  of 
their  text-books,  and  still  less  of  any  thing  by  way  of 
preparation  for  future  action,  who  are  never  of  much  use 
to  themselves  or  the  world.  They  go  forth  without  con- 
stitution, without  energy  of  character,  or  practical  knowl- 
edge of  life,  to  sink  into  obscurity ;  while  poor  boys,  who 
are  taught  to  work  and  think  for  themselves,  with  but  a 
common  school  education,  often  rise  to  great  eminence,  as 
statesmen,  scholars,  jurists,  or  divines.  I  allow  that  such 
as  obtain  a  classical  education,  without  the  loss  of  health, 
or  of  their  industrious  habits,  have  an  advantage  over 
others ;  but  they  appear  to  be  comparatively  few  ;  and  it  is 
chiefly  owing  to  the  bad  management  of  parents,  in  keep- 
ing them  six  or  seven  successive  years  wilting  in  the  shade 
of  a  college,  instead  of  requiring  them  to  labor  a  part  of 
each.  One  year  employed  in  training  a  boy  to  think  and 
apply  what  he  knows  to  some  useful  purpose,  is  worth 
more  than  two  spent  in  memorizing  and  reciting. 

There  is,  in  most  instances,  much  error  committed  in 
the  education  of  girls,  it  being  conducted  on  the  principle 
of  gloss  and  show,  without  proper  regard  to  practical  use- 
fulness. What  is  a  young  lady  fitted  for  who  has  no  con- 
stitution, no  industry,  no  practical  knowledge  of  domestic 
duties,  and  can  only  dress,  perform  on  the  piano-forte, 
repeat  a  French  dialogue,  and  figure  at  fashionable  par- 
ties? She  may  answer  for  a  plaything,  a  mere  subject  of 
pastime  ;  but  how  could  she  fill  the  responsible  station  of 


ESSAYS.  35 

a  wife  and  mistress  of  a  family  ?  A  part  of  the  educa- 
tion of  every  female  should  be  given  in  the  dairy  and 
kitchen,  where  she  may  acquire  a  vigorous  constitution, 
and  much  useful  knowledge  for  the  after  part  of  life. 
Then,  when  thrown  upon  her  own  responsibility,  as  the 
mistress  of  a  family,  she  will  know  what  is  to  be  done, 
and  how  to  do  it,  or  have  it  done.  And,  connected  with 
this,  should  be  a  sound  literary  course,  such  as  imparts 
not  ornament  merely,  but  useful  knowledge  on  every  sub- 
ject pertaining  to  her  appropriate  sphere  of  life,  so  that 
she  may  examine  for  herself,  and  form  an  opinion  of  her 
own  respecting  every  important  matter. 

Another  important  part  of  useful  education,  for  both 
sexes,  consists  of  a  well-formed  system  of  manners,  which 
should  be  taught  them  from  childhood  up  to  maturity. 
By  this,  however,  I  do  not  mean  a  perpetual  round  of 
bowing  and  courtesying,  which  is  just  the  reverse  of 
agreeable  manners,  but  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the 
rules  and  usages  of  good  society,  and  an  easy  conformity 
to  them,  so  as  to  feel  pleasant  and  unembarrassed  in 
every  genteel  company,  and  help  others  to  feel  so  too. 
To  this  end,  young  people  should  not  only  be  instructed 
at  home,  by  precept  and  example,  but  be  allowed,  under 
proper  limitations,  to  mix  in  good  society  abroad,  where 
they  can  learn  by  experience  and  observation.  Social 
intercourse  between  the  different  sexes,  on  safe  and  well- 
regulated  principles,  is  of  great  use  in  forming  agreeable 
manners.  And  let  no  one  suppose  that  it  is  of  small  con- 
sequence to  be  able  to  pass  pleasantly  in  every  sort  of 
respectable  society  into  which  we  may  be  thrown  by  the 
duties  and  changes  of  life;  it  is  an  accomplishment,  not 
only  convenient  for  them  who  possess  it,  but  which  im- 
parts pleasure  to  others. 

The  most  important  of  all  parental  duties,  and  the  last 
one  assigned  to  this  article,  is,  training  their  children  for 


36  MISCELLANY. 

happiness  in  the  life  to  come,  by  a  genuine  religious  edu- 
cation, and  imploring  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the  effort. 
"And  these  words  which  I  command  thee  this  day  shall 
be  in  thine  heart:  and  thou  shalt  teach  them  diligently 
unto  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of  them  when  thou  sit- 
test  in  thy  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and 
when  thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up."  From 
this  authority  it  appears  that  the  chief  qualification  for 
teaching  our  children  the  words  and  commands  of  God,  is 
to  have  them  written  upon  our  own  hearts,  or  to  be  exper- 
imentally religious  ourselves;  and  then  they  are  to  be 
enforced  by  example,  as  well  as  precept,  talking  of  them 
in  doors  and  out,  morning  and  evening.  The  Bible 
abounds  with  similar  injunctions.  Solomon  says,  "  Train 
up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go:  and  when  he  is  old, 
he  will  not  depart  from  it."  This  is  found  to  hold  good, 
at  least  as  a  general  rule,  and  might  universally,  if  prop- 
erly complied  with.  The  principles  of  an  early  religious 
education  are  scarcely  ever  effaced  from  the  mind;  and 
though  they  may  be  violated  for  a  time,  amidst  the  follies 
of  youth,  they  are  almost  certain  to  regain  the  ascendency 
afterward.  The  good  seed  sown  in  the  heart  of  little 
children,  by  the  pious  mother,  may  lie  dormant  a  long 
time,  then  vegetate  under  the  showers  of  grace,  and  the 
genial  rays  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  and  produce  fruit 
unto  holiness,  and  the  end  be  everlasting  life.  But  the 
responsibility  is  not  all  with  the  mother;  for  Paul  says, 
"And,  ye  fathers,  provoke  not  your  children  to  wrath: 
but  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord." 

The  means  afforded  us  for  the  religious  instruction  of 
our  children  are  various.  One  of  the  best  of  all  is,  read- 
ing daily  select  portions  of  holy  Scripture  to  them,  for 
their  special  benefit,  accompanied  with  familiar  explana- 
tions, adapted  to  their  age  and  capacity.     By  this  means 


ESSAYS. 

they  may  become  so  interested,  that  what  Paul  said  to 
Timothy  might  truly  be  said  to  many  of  them:  "  From  a 
child  thou  hast  known  the  holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able 
to  make  thee  wise  unto  salvation  through  faith  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus."  Family  worship,  too,  should  be  per- 
formed, at  such  times,  and  under  such  circumstances,  that 
the  children  may  be  present,  and  in  such  manner  as  to 
interest  them.  They  should  be  learned  short,  easy  forms 
of  prayer,  to  repeat  morning  and  evening,  till  they  become 
old  enough,  and  sufficiently  advanced  in  knowledge,  to 
express  their  wants  in  their  own  words.  Their  parents 
should  lead  them  to  the  closet,  unite  with  them  in  private 
devotion,  and  so  live  daily  as  to  say  by  their  example,  fol- 
low us  as  we  follow  Christ.  They  should  be  taken  to 
meetings  for  social  worship,  and  regularly  to  hear  the 
Gospel  preached,  from  the  time  they  can  understand  the 
nature  and  design  of  public  worship.  Moreover,  they 
should  be  thoroughly  taught  the  Scripture  catechism  at 
home,  and  in  the  meeting  of  catechumen  by  the  minister 
of  Christ.  They  should  likewise  be  sent  regularly  to  the 
Sabbath  school,  where  they  may  derive  a  vast  amount  of 
mental,  moral,  and  religious  instruction,  which  will  greatly 
aid  in  the  formation  of  sound  principles,  for  the  regulation 
of  their  conduct  in  after  life.  And,  when  their  years  and 
attainments  shall  have  prepared  them  for  it,  they  should 
be  thoroughly  trained  in  Bible  classes,  by  competent 
teachers,  conducted  on  such  principles  as  will  call  their 
knowledge  of  the  holy  Scriptures  into  requisition,  and 
afford  exercise  for  their  own  judgment  in  the  application 
of  it.  Now,  all  this  may  be  done  without  interfering 
materially  with  their  daily  labor,  or  their  regular  school 
education;  and  it  will  be  worth  more  to  them,  both  in 
time  and  eternity,  than  all  the  rest  of  their  literary 
attainments. 

In  the  work  of  religion.,  training  there  are  formidable 
'1 


38  MISCELLANY. 

difficulties.  The  greatest  of  these,  and  the  one  which  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  all  the  rest,  is  that  inherent  depravity 
common  to  all  mankind,  and  which  develops  itself  at  a 
very  early  period  of  life.  Solomon  says,  "Foolishness  is 
bound  up  in  the  heart  of  a  child."  This  foolishness,  or 
sinful  nature,  grows  with  his  growth,  and  strengthens  with 
iris  strength,  and,  unless  counteracted  by  gracious  influ- 
ence, leads  to  innumerable  personal  transgressions,  and 
ends  in  perdition.  Another  difficulty  arises  from  the 
influence  of  vicious  examples.  This  indicates  clearly  the 
necessity  of  keeping  our  children  out  of  bad  company. 
If  our  sons  are  allowed  to  mingle  with  the  street  rabble, 
attend  horse-races,  and  resort  to  other  places  of  dissipa- 
tion and  corruption,  and  if  our  daughters  are  suffered  to 
attend  balls,  theaters,  and  other  sinful  amusements,  all 
our  efforts  to  benefit  them,  by  a  religious  education,  will 
be  useless.  A  few  days  of  indulgence  in  such  folly  would 
destroy  all  the  fruit  of  our  care  and  toil  for  many  long 
years:  "Be  not  deceived:  evil  communications  corrupt 
good  manners."  I  entreat  all  parents,  as  they  love  their 
children,  and  desire  their  present  and  everlasting  welfare, 
to  keep  them  away  from  all  such  evil  associations,  and, 
resisting  every  opposing  influence  with  decision  and  firm- 
ness, persevere,  to  the  end  of  life,  in  striving  to  lead  them 
in  the  path  of  duty  and  safety.  The  obstacles  in  the  way 
of  this  work,  though  numerous  and  discouraging,  are  not 
insurmountable.  The  Lord  said,  by  the  prophet  Ezekie], 
"Behold,  all  souls  are  mine;  as  the  soul  of  the  father,  so 
also  the  soul  of  the  son  is  mine."  They  are  alike  re- 
deemed by  the  death  of  Christ,  and  children  and  parents 
may  be  saved  together.  The  children  may  be  indifferent 
on  the  subject  now,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  can  soon  awaken 
them  to  a  proper  sense  of  their  danger.  They  are  de- 
praved in  heart,  but  the  blood  of  Jesus  is  sufficient  to 
?leanse  from  all  unrighteousness :  they  may  have  to  con- 


ESSAYS.  39 

tend  with  hardness  and  unbelief,  as  we  did,  but  God  will 
be  faithful  to  his  promise,  to  take  away  the  heart  of  stone, 
and  give  a  heart  of  flesh.  To  use  the  means  belongs  to 
us,  yet  none  but  God  can  convert  and  save ;  therefore, 
we  should  be  instant  in  prayer  for  his  blessing  upon  our 
labor  of  love.  Let  the  father  and  mother  unite  in  a  per- 
petual covenant  to  pray  for  their  children,  and  take  en- 
couragement from  the  sure  promise  of  the  Savior :  "  Again 
I  say  unto  you,  that  if  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth, 
as  touching  any  thing  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done 
for  them  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Never  cease 
to  plead  this  promise ;  and  though  you  may  see  no  fruit 
for  a  time,  be  not  discouraged.  The  Lord  will  hear  and 
answer  in  mercy.  If  your  children  be  not  saved  while 
you  live,  they  may  be  after  you  shall  have  gone  to  rest. 
Many  cases  might  be  adduced,  and  some  of  them  within 
our  own  knowledge,  to  show  that  the  prayers  of  pious 
parents  have  been  answered  in  blessings  upon  their  chil- 
dren, after  those  parents  had  gone  to  heaven.  Indeed, 
it  would  be  difficult  for  those  whose  father  and  mother 
lived  and  died  praying  for  them,  to  shake  off  their  solemn 
convictions,  and  resist  the  powerful  motives  to  a  life  of 
piety  set  before  them.  For  a  long  time  Jacob  supposed 
that  his  son  was  dead :  who  can  imagine  his  joy  on  hear- 
ing, "Joseph  is  yet  alive!"  Yet  what  was  his  joy,  com- 
pared with  that  of  Christian  parents,  who,  in  answer  to 
their  prayers,  after  all  their  painful  solicitude,  find  their 
sons  and  daughters  in  heaven! 


THE  DUTY  OF  FASTING. 
That  fasting  is  enjoined  in  the  Bible  as  a  religious  duty, 
will  scarcely  be  questioned  by  any  who  have  carefully 


40  M  1  S  C  E  LLAi'T. 

examined  the  subject.  Still,  there  may  be  much  differ- 
ence of  opinion  among  pious  people  as  to  what  that  duty 
is ;  by  what  authority  it  is  made  obligatory ;  how,  and  on 
what  occasions,  it  should  be  observed ;  and  what  are  its 
beneficial  results.  To  arrive  at  safe  conclusions  on  all 
these  points,  reference  must  be  had  to  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony.  In  such  questions,  mere  human  authority  is 
not  sufficient:  to  settle  them  requires  Scriptural  precept 
and  divine  sanction.  Whoever  presumes  to  set  up  his 
own  judgment  in  opposition  to  the  sacred  record,  or  to 
teach  what  it  does  not  warrant,  as  essential  to  salvation, 
should  not  be  regarded  as  a  safe  instructor  of  those  who 
wish  to  find  the  path  of  life.  "If  any  man  speak,  let 
him  speak  as  the  oracles  of  God." 

The  point  of  inquiry  which  requires  attention  first  of 
all,  is,  What  is  fasting,  in  the  sense  of  the  inspired  au- 
thors? On  this  subject  various  opinions  have  been,  and 
still  are,  entertained  and  propagated ;  and  among  them  is 
the  singular  one,  that  fasting  is  simply  "refraining  from 
sin."  To  refrain  from  sinning  is  in  itself  certainly  right 
and  commendable;  but  to  insist  on  that  as  the  sense  of 
the  term  fasting,  involves  at  least  one  serious  difficulty. 
Fasting  is  not,  and  can  not  be  practiced  daily  and  con- 
tinuously ;  it  is  only  occasional ;  and  if  to  fast  is  to  refrain 
from  sin,  then  we  are  required  to  refrain  from  sin  only  on 
fast-days,  which  would  imply  that  on  all  other  days  we 
may  sin  with  impunity ;  whereas  the  Bible,  which  enjoins 
fasting,  forbids  sin  at  all  times  and  in  every  place,  and 
that  under  fearful  penalty.  "Awake  to  righteousness 
and  sin  not;"  "The  wages  of  sin  is  death;"  "The  soul 
that  sins  shall  die."  It  is  declared  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  on  the  occasion  of  his  temptation  in  the  wilder- 
ness, "When  he  had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights, 
he  was  afterward  an  hungered."  Now,  will  any  one  pre 
sume  to  say  that  he,  after  abstaining  from  sin  forty  days, 


ESSAYS.  41 

hungered  for  it?  I  trust  not;  and  yet,  to  be  consistent, 
all  who  contend  that  fasting  is  simply  refraining  from  sin, 
would  have  to  admit  the  blasphemous  conclusion. 

Another  view  of  the  subject,  and  one  entertained  by 
many  who  regard  themselves  as  the  only  true  Church  of 
Christ,  is,  that  fasting  is  merely  a  change  in  the  manner 
of  living,  from  the  use  of  certain  articles  of  food  to  the 
use  of  others.  While  their  conscience,  acting  in  the  light 
of  their  creed,  or,  more  properly,  in  the  darkness  of  it, 
will  not  allow  them,  on  any  consideration,  to  eat  meat 
during  certain  days  of  the  week,  and  certain  weeks  of  the 
year,  it  does  strangely  allow  them,  on  the  same  days  and 
weeks,  to  eat  fish,  butter,  eggs,  vegetables,  fruits,  and 
most  luxuries  of  the  country.  It  is  really  amusing  to 
read  over  a  printed  bill  of  sumptuous  fare,  made  out  by  a 
prelate  who  assumes  to  have  the  consciences  of  the  people 
in  his  own  keeping,  for  a  forty  days'  fast.  Serious  as  the 
subject  is,  to  read  of  a  "fish-dinner"  on  fast-day  is 
enough  to  excite  a  smile.  To  us  this  appears  to  be  a  sin- 
gular kind  of  fasting — one  which  requires  but  little  sacri- 
fice of  taste  or  self-denial,  and  which  need  not  diminish 
the  strength  or  flesh  of  those  who  practice  it,  however 
long  the  fast  may  be  protracted.  Daniel  and  his  fellow- 
captives,  while  receiving  their  court  education,  were  sus- 
tained only  on  pulse  and  water ;  and  yet,  at  the  period  of 
examination,  "their  countenances  appeared  fairer  and  fat- 
ter in  flesh  than  all  the  children  which  did  eat  the  portion 
of  the  king's  meat"  and  drank  of  his  "wine."  And  why 
should  not  any  healthy  individual  gain  both  flesh  and 
strength  during  "Lent,"  with  all  its  various  substantiate 
and  luxuries  ?  Such  feasting  may  justly  be  regarded  as 
a  burlesque  on  the  Christian  duty  of  fasting.  How  dif- 
ferent was  the  case  with  the  devoted  Psalmist,  when  he 
said,  "My  knees  are  weak  through  fasting;  and  my  flesh 
faileth  of  fatness,"  Psa.  cix,  24. 
4* 


42  1IISCELLAXY. 

To  fast,  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  term,  is  to  abstain 
entirely  from  food  and  drink  of  every  kind  for  a  given 
time — the  period  of  such  abstinence  to  be  determined  by 
the  circumstances  of  the  individual,  and  the  nature  of  the 
occasion  which  moves  him  to  observe  it.  The  kino-  of 
Nineveh,  under  just  apprehension  of  the  judgments  of 
the  Almighty,  proclaimed  a  general  fast,  saying,  "Let 
neither  man  nor  beast,  herd  nor  flock,  taste  any  thing :  let 
them  not  feed,  nor  drink  water,"  Jonah  iii,  7.  Saul, 
afterward  Paul,  when  stricken  down  by  the  power  of  God, 
and  brought  under  sore  conviction  of  sin,  "was  three 
days  without  sight,  and  neither  did  eat  nor  drink,"  Acts 
ix,  9.  Many  other  facts  similar  to  these  might  be  recited, 
going  to  prove,  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt,  that  fasting, 
in  the  Scriptural  sense  of  the  term,  is  neither  refraining 
occasionally  from  sin,  nor  a  mere  change  of  diet,  but 
entire  abstinence  from  all  temporal  refreshments,  of  eve^ry 
sort,  for  a  given  time. 

Having  settled  the  meaning  of  the  term  fasting — very 
briefly,  it  is  true,  but,  as  I  trust,  satisfactorily,  at  least 
to  such  as  believe  the  Bible — the  next  point  which  claims 
attention  is  the  authority  for  observing  this  duty  as  above 
explained. 

This  authority,  to  be  satisfactory,  must  be  clear  and 
unequivocal,  and  from  a  source  entitled  to  universal  re- 
spect. Such  authority,  I  maintain,  is  abundantly  fur- 
nished in  the  holy  Scriptures,  in  the  recorded  examples  of 
inspired  religious  teachers,  and  in  plain  and  obvious  pre- 
cept. In  regard  to  the  first,  it  is  in  place  to  observe  that 
the  example  of  uninspired  persons,  however  pious,  is  not 
good  authority;  and,  therefore,  may  be  imitated  or  not, 
according  to  our  own  conviction  of  duty,  without  involv- 
ing the  sin  of  omission.  Uninspired  men  are  as  liable  to 
be  mistaken  as  ourselves.  Perhaps  most  of  the  truly 
pious,  from  Moses  to  the  present  day,  have  fasted,  and 


ESSAYS.  43 

their  example  might  be  profitably  imitated ;  but  of  itself 
it  imposes  no  obligation  upon  us.  But  with  inspired  men 
the  case  is  different.  When  a  man  was  called  of  God  to 
be  a  prophet,  or  an  apostle,  and  was  inspired  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  became  an  infallible  teacher  of  religious  doc- 
trine, experience,  and  practice;  and  whatever  duty  he 
enforced  by  example,  as  an  inspired  man,  was  obligatory 
upon  others,  as  far  as  applicable  to  their  cases.  The  holy 
prophets  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  holy  apostles  of 
the  New  Testament  were  all  inspired  men ;  as  such  they 
fasted,  and  did  it  understanding^,  and  thereby  settled  the 
practice  of  fasting  as  a  duty  in  the  Church,  Jewish  and 
Christian.  They  were  not  deluded  fanatics,  but  holy  men 
of  God,  speaking  and  acting  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost;  and,  consequently,  their  example  rested 
upon  others  in  this  respect,  and  now  rests  upon  us,  with 
the  force  of  religious  obligation. 

In  addition  to  the  example  of  inspired  men  on  the  sub- 
ject of  fasting  as  a  religious  duty,  we  have  the  authority 
of  direct  Divine  precept.  That  God  required  the  Jews  to 
fast  on  the  day  of  expiation,  and  on  other  occasions,  will 
probably  be  admitted  by  all  careful  Bible  readers ;  and 
hence  I  shall  not  occupy  the  room  which  would  be 
requisite  for  inserting  the  proofs.  And  it  is  equally  clear 
that  our  Lord  and  his  apostles  taught  the  Christians  to 
fast,  both  by  precept  and  example,  not  at  regularly-recur- 
ring periods,  but  as  an  occasional  duty.  Christ  gave  his 
disciples  special  directions  how  to  perform  the  duty  of 
fasting,  and,  therefore,  by  fair  inference,  gave  it  his  sanc- 
tion— as  it  can  not  be  presumed  that  he  would  give  them 
direction  how  to  perform  an  act  which  was  either  unlawful 
or  useless.  The  certain  proof  that  our  Savior  did  give 
such  direction  is  found  in  sundry  places,  and,  among 
others,  in  Matt,  vi,  16-18,  which  I  shall  have  occasion 
to  cite  hereafter. 


44  MISCELLANY. 

Again:  when  interrogated  by  the  disciples  of  John 
Baptist,  why  they  and  the  Pharisees  fasted  frequently, 
while  his  disciples  fasted  not,  "Jesus  said  unto  them,  Can 
the  children  of  the  bride-chamber  mourn,  as  long  as  the 
bridegroom  is  with  them?  but  the  days  will  come  when  the 
bridegroom  shall  be  taken  from  them,  and  then  shall  they 
fast,"  Matt,  ix,  15.  Here  our  Lord  compares  the  season 
of  his  personal  intercourse  with  his  disciples  to  a  festival  at 
or  after  a  wedding ;  which,  being  a  time  of  feasting  and 
rejoicing,  was  not  a  proper  time  for  fasting;  and  hence  it 
was  not  required  of  them  at  that  time.  But,  alluding  to 
the  time  when  his  personal  intercourse  with  them  on  earth 
should  cease,  and  to  all  after-times  of  conflict  and  trouble, 
he  said,  "Then  shall  they  fast."  Now,  this  last  phrase, 
"Then  shall  they  fast,"  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  mere 
prophecy  that  such  an  event  should  transpire,  but  as  an 
expressed  sanction  of  it,  and  an  assurance  that  it  would 
be  done;  as  if  he  had  said,  "Though  I  do  not  wish  my 
disciples  to  fast  while  I  am  personally  with  them,  I  do  ap- 
prove of  their  fasting  after  I  shall  have  been  taken  from 
them." 

Moreover,  our  Lord  taught  that  there  were  some  evil 
spirits  in  man  which  could  not  be  dislodged  without  fast- 
ing; saying,  "  This  kind  can  come  forth  by  nothing  but  by 
prayer  and  fasting."  Of  course,  when  other  means  have 
been  tried  without  success,  that  of  adding  fastino-  to 
prayer  should  not  be  neglected :  it  comes  in  as  the  last 
resort.  And  what  our  Savior  taught  his  disciples  respect- 
ing the  duty  of  fasting  by  word,  he  enforced  by  his  own 
example,  only  with  more  severity  on  himself  than  they 
were  capable  of  enduring:  "When  he  had  fasted  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  he  was  afterward  an  hungered." 
Now,  in  view  of  all  these  recorded  facts — that  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  was  "God  manifest  in  the  flesh,"  and 
"spake  as  man  never  spake,"  prescribed  the  manner  of 


E  S  S  A  Y  S  .  45 

fasting,  authorized  his  disciples  to  fast  after  he  should 
be  taken  from  them,  and  added  his  own  personal  example 
to  enforce  his  teaching — it  is  difficult  to  account  for  the 
hesitancy  of  some  people  in  admitting  that  fasting  is  a 
Christian  duty,  and  their  slowness  of  heart  to  believe  it 
is  required  of  them.     It  was  not  so  with  the  apostles. 

That  the  inspired  apostles,  who  were  eye  and  ear-wit- 
nesses of  what  Christ  taught  and  did,  regarded  fasting  as 
an  important  part  of  Christian  duty,  is  certain  from  the 
following  facts:  1.  They  practiced  it  themselves,  "in  all 
things  approving  themselves  as  the  ministers  of  God,  in 
much  patience,  in  afflictions,  in  necessities,  in  distresses, 
in  stripes,  in  imprisonments,  in  tumults,  in  labors,  in 
watchings,  in  fastings,"  2  Cor.  vi,  4,  5.  2.  They  enjoined 
fasting  on  others,  saying  to  husbands  and  wives,  "Give 
yourselves  to  fasting  and  prayer,"  1  Cor.  vii,  5.  And 
what  inspired  apostles  practiced  themselves,  and  required 
private  Church  members  to  practice,  must  certainly  be 
regarded  as  a  Christian  duty  by  all  who  take  the  holy 
Scriptures  for  the  rule  of  their  faith  and  conduct. 

I  shall  next  turn  my  attention  to  the  occasions  of 
fasting.  And  here  let  it  be  premised,  that  stated  fasts,  at 
regularly-recurring  periods,  such  as  were  practiced  by 
Pharisees,  and  are  still  required  by  Papists,  were  not  ap- 
pointed, commanded,  or  practiced  by  our  Lord  or  his 
apostles.  The  Pharisees  fasted  "twice  in  the  week" 
statedly,  on  certain  days  of  the  week ;  but  all  the  author- 
ity they  had  for  doing  so  was  the  "tradition  of  the  elders," 
which,  Christ  declared,  "made  void  the  commandments 
of  God."  The  Papists  pretend  to  observe,  as  regular 
fasts,  certain  days  of  the  week  and  certain  weeks  of  the 
year;  but  all  the  authority  they  have  for  that  practice  is 
found  in  the  tradition  of  the  fathers,  the  decrees  of  coun- 
cils, the  bulls  of  popes,  and  the  proclamations  of  bishops — 
all  which  savors  strongly  of  the  work  of  supererogation, 


46  MISCELLANY. 

and  is,  therefore,  not  only  without  any  Divine  sanction, 
but  is  contrary  to  the  Divine  will,  as  revealed  in  the  new 
covenant. 

While  considering  this  point,  it  is  proper  to  remark, 
that,  in  the  ecclesiastical  polity  of  Methodism,  "fasting, 
or  abstinence, "  is  included  among  the  "general  rules,,, 
out  without  designating  any  definite  or  stated  time  of  fast- 
ing.    Again:  among  the  duties  of  a  preacher  in  charge 
is  the  following:  "He  shall  take  care  that  a  fast  be  held, 
in  every  society  in  his  circuit,  on  the  Friday  preceding 
every   quarterly  meeting."     The    time   of   the   quarterly 
meeting,  however,  is  not  regulated  by  the  moon's  phases, 
nor  by  a  particular  Sabbath  in  the  month,  nor  any  thing 
of  the  kind;  but  is   appointed   from   quarter  to  quarter, 
with  reference  to  convenience  and  utility,  and  the  quar- 
terly fast  goes  with  it.     All  I  claim  for  this  rule  is,  that 
it  is  a  "prudential  regulation,"  not  possessing  the  force  of 
Divine  law.     As  such,  I  approve  and  defend  it,  as  one 
calculated   to   promote    uniformity,    and    secure    general 
attention  on  the  part  of  Church  members.     The  fast  was 
appointed  on   Friday,   because  the   framers   of   the   rule 
intended  the  quarterly  meeting  to  follow  on  Saturday  and 
Sabbath — not  because  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  des- 
ignate any  particular  day  of  the  week  as  a  day  of  fasting. 
It  is  likewise  probable  that  our  fathers  fixed  on  Friday,  in 
common  with  other  evangelical  Churches,  as  beino:  suita- 
ble,  because  it  was  understood  to  be  the  day  of  the  week 
on  which  our  Savior  suffered.     All  these  considerations 
were  proper  in   establishing  a  prudential  regulation.     I 
maintain  that  in  regard  to  the  duty  of  fasting,  as  well  as 
in  regard  to  other  duties  enjoined  in  the  word  of  God, 
some  things  are  left  to  be  determined  by  circumstances. 
For  example,  Christ  said  to  his  ministers,  "Go  ye  into  all 
the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature;"  but 
did  not  say  the  Gospel  should  be  preached  on  the  first 


ESSAYS.  47 

day,  or  some  other  day  of  the  week — that  it  should  be 
preached  in  the  forenoon,  afternoon,  or  evening ;  nor  that 
it  should  be  preached  in  a  house  called  a  church,  or  some 
other  building,  or  in  the  open  air;  but  simply  that  it  should 
be  preached  in  all  the  world,  and  to  every  creature,  leav- 
ing times  and  places  to  be  settled  according  to  circum- 
stances. In  like  manner,  Christians  are  required  in  the 
New  Testament  to  fast;  but  it  is  not  there  determined 
whether  they  shall  fast  on  Friday,  Monday,  or  some  other 
day  of  the  week ;  nor  yet  that  they  shall  fast  yearly,  quar- 
terly, monthly,  or  weekly;  but  they  are  left  to  regulate 
their  times  of  fasting  as  circumstances  may  render  most 
proper.  Fasting,  therefore,  is  to  be  regarded  as  an  occa- 
sional duty,  to  be  practiced  from  time  to  time,  as  the 
necessities  and  interests  of  communities  and  individuals 
may  require.  And  if  it  should  be  objected  by  any,  that 
this  view  of  the  subject  tends  to  weaken  the  obligation  to 
fast,  let  all  such  objectors  remember,  that  the  obligation 
to  fast  exists  in  the  word  of  God,  and  not  in  the  time 
designated  by  Church  authorities  for  discharging  that  obli- 
gation. The  objection  will  be  further  obviated  by  care- 
fully weighing  what  now  follows  respecting  the  occasions 
of  fasting,  which  may  and  doubtless  do  come  up  in  the 
history  of  nations  and  individuals. 

A  time  of  public  calamity  and  general  distress,  in  pro- 
gress or  in  prospect,  is  a  proper  occasion  for  a  general 
fast.  When  the  deceitful  and  intriguing  Haman  had  pro- 
cured a  decree  from  King  Ahasuerus,  that  all  the  Jews  in 
his  extended  provinces  should  be  massacred  on  a  given 
day,  Mordecai  the  Jew  communicated  the  sad  intelligence 
to  Queen  Esther,  who  was  also  a  Jewess,  and  she  ap- 
pointed a  three  days'  fast  to  be  solemnly  kept  by  herself, 
her  maidens,  Mordecai,  and  their  countrymen,  as  far  as 
they  could  give  notice,  which  by  God's  blessing  proved 
successful  in  averting  the  fearful  calamity.     Perhaps  we, 


48  MISCELLANY. 

as  a  nation,  are  in  no  immediate  or  apparent  danger  of  a 
general  massacre,  by  any  organized  or  legalized  system 
of  persecution,  at  present,  whatever  may  transpire  here- 
after. Still,  we  are  expecting  soon,  and  have  good  reason 
to  expect,  a  return  of  that  dreadful  scourge  of  nations, 
the  Indian  cholera,  in  the  epidemic  form,  which,  if  unre- 
strained by  Providential  interference,  may  sweep  millions 
of  this  generation,  and  even  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
our  own  countrymen,  from  the  face  of  the  earth  into  the 
world  of  spirits.  In  anticipation  of  so  terrible  a  visitation 
in  our  land,  a  day  of  general  humiliation,  fasting,  and 
supplication  would  be  highly  proper.  There  could  not  be 
any  occasion  more  suitable  than  that  for  a  national  fast; 
and  as  no  human  foresight  can  ascertain  who  shall  be 
marked  as  its  victims,  every  individual  should  consider 
himself  or  herself  as  personally  and  deeply  interested; 
for,  when  the  sweeping  pestilence  shall  break  upon  us,  it 
will  probably,  as  on  a  former  occasion,  reach  all  classes  of 
the  community.  In  1832-33,  though  distinguished  med- 
ical men  had  prophesied  that  none  but  the  dissipated, 
lewd,  and  filthy  had  any  thing  to  fear  from  cholera,  some 
of  the  most  wealthy  merchants,  profound  scholars,  brill- 
iant statesmen,  skillful  physicians,  and  godly  ministers, 
as  well  as  steady  farmers  and  sober  mechanics,  with  their 
wives  and  children,  were  seen  suddenly  to  fall  under  its 
deadly  grasp.  So  it  may  be  again.  Let  all  see  to  it  that 
their  peace  be  made  with  God,  and  to  this  end  let  them 
fast  and  pray,  and  use  all  the  appointed  means. 

There  have  been,  and  probably  will  be,  many  local  and 
private  events  of  an  afflictive  kind  which  have  formed, 
and  will  form,  sufficient  occasions  for  sectional  and  private 
fasts.  The  wicked  city  of  Nineveh  fasted,  and  thereby 
escaped  general  destruction;  and  every  wicked  city  has 
abundant  reason  to  adopt  the  same  measure,  lest  it  be  de- 
stroyed by  whirlwind,  earthquake,  flood,  or  flame.     "Now 


ESSAYS.  49 

ider  this,  ye  that  forget  God,  lest  I  tear  you  in  pieces, 
and  there  be  none  to  deliver,"  is  as  worthy  of  being 
regarded  now,  as  it  was  when  first  proclaimed  in  the  days 
of  the  Psalmist;  for  the  author  of  that  solemn  warning 
is  unchangeable.  Ao-ain :  when  Kino- David's  child  was 
stricken  with  mortal  sickness,  he  betook  himself  to  fasting, 
lay  all  night  upon  the  ground,  refusing  to  receive  any 
nourishment,  or  to  be  raised  up  by  his  servants,  or  com- 
forted by  his  friends,  till  informed  the  child  was  dead. 
Then  he  arose  from  the  earth,  washed  himself,  changed 
his  raiment,  worshiped  in  the  Temple,  ate  bread,  and 
appeared  again  among  his  friends.  "And  he  said,  "While 
the  child  was  yet  alive,  I  fasted  and  wept:  for  I  said, 
Who  can  tell  whether  God  will  be  gracious  to  me,  that  the 
child  may  live  ?  But  now  he  is  dead,  wherefore  should  I 
fast  ?  Can  I  bring  him  back  again  ?  I  shall  go  to  him, 
but  he  shall  not  return  to  me,"  2  Samuel  xii,  22,  23. 
Though  the  king  lost  his  son,  no  doubt  he  felt  better  sat- 
isfied under  his  loss  than  he  wTould  have  done  had  he 
neglected  his  duty.  With  this  illustrious  example  before 
us,  it  would  be  safe  and  proper,  while  laboring  under  a 
sore  visitation  of  family  affliction,  to  betake  ourselves  to 
prayer  and  fasting,  that  God  might  avert  or  mitigate  the 
evil,  and  sustain  us  through  it. 

Every  man  has  a  personal  reason  for  fasting,  in  his  own 
natural  depravity  and  practical  sinfulness,  calling  for  deep, 
continuous  humiliation  before  God.  Have  we  sinned 
grievously?  Does  the  guilt  thereof  rest  heavily  upon  us? 
And,  after  much  penitence  and  prayer,  does  our  con- 
science still  trouble  and  make  us  afraid?  Then  Ave  should 
add  fasting,  that  we  may  be  more  deeply  humbled  in  the 
sight  of  Heaven,  still  pleading  the  atonement  of  our  dying, 
risen,  ascended,  and  interceding  Savior,  till  we  obtain  the 
evidence  of  pardoning  and  renewing  grace.  Again ;  if 
inbred  sin  remain  and  trouble  us,  after  we  have  prayed 


50  MISCELLANY. 

long  and  much  for  purity  of  heart,  there  is  reason  to  fear 
that  it  is  of  a  kind  that  "cometh  not  forth  but  by  prayer 
and  fasting" — which  remedy  should  be  applied  in  earnest: 
for  though  there  is  no  merit  in  fasting,  more  than  in  any 
other  means  of  grace,  God's  method  of  salvation  is  to 
bless  in  the  use,  and  not  in  the  neglect,  of  the  means;  and 
in  extreme  cases  no  one  of  them  should  be  omitted — all 
should  be  diligently  used ;  and  having  used  all  the  means, 
we  should  then  trust  in  Christ  only  for  the  end ;  for  when 
we  have  done  all  we  can,  we  are  still  unprofitable  serv- 
ants, having  only  done  our  duty.  Whoever  pursues  this 
course,  will  soon  rejoice  in  possession  of  a  present,  free, 
and  full  salvation  :  it  has  been  tried  in  thousands  of  cases, 
and  always  with  success. 

Another  very  important  point  involved  in  this  subject  is 
the  manner  of  fasting.  It  should  be  done  in  moderation, 
not  carried  to  excess — not  so  as  to  injure  health,  much 
less  to  endanger  life.  There  are  some  individuals,  in  a 
debilitated  state  from  recent  affliction,  whose  health  would 
not  admit  of  their  fasting  for  the  time  being;  and  others, 
who  have  general  poor  health  and  feeble  constitutions, 
who,  at  best,  can  scarcely  receive  nourishment  sufficient 
to  sustain  them  in  active  life :  these  should  not  impose 
upon  themselves  frequent  nor  rigorous  fasts.  Indeed,  it 
is  very  questionable  whether  such  individuals  should  fast 
at  all,  as  it  might  prove  injurious,  if  not  fatal.  Let  it  be 
remembered,  God  does  not  require  murder  for  sacrifice. 
Still  there  is  danger  of  extremes,  both  ways;  and  no 
doubt  there  are  many  more  who  fast  too  little,  than  there 
are  who  fast  too  much.  The  inconvenience  suffered  by 
invalids  from  fasting,  is  no  excuse  for  us  who  are  healthy 
to  neglect  it. 

Again :  we  should  not  aim  at  miracles  in  the  perform- 
ance of  this  duty;  the  days  of  miracles  have  passed  away. 
Moses  and  Elijah  as  types,  and  our  Savior  as  the  antitype, 


ESSAYS.  51 

each  fasted  forty  days ;  but  those  fasts  were  all  miracu- 
lous, and  therefore  do  not  form  any  rule  of  practice  for 
us.  No  mere  human  being  could  live  half  of  that  time 
without  some  nourishment,  unless  there  should  be  an 
immediate  and  continuous  exercise  of  the  power  of  God 
in  his  case,  which  is  not  to  be  presumed  on.  Some  fanat- 
ics have  exercised  that  presumption,  and  have  lost  their 
lives  in  consequence — thereby  leaving  a  solemn  warning 
to  all  others  against  yielding  to  such  madness.  Of  this 
description  of  superstitious  devotees,  were  some  members 
of  a  modern  sect  called  Halcyons,  which  flourished  in  the 
western  country  about  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
They  never  became  numerous,  and  are  now  extinct,  as 
might  have  been  expected. 

Fasting  should  not  be  attended  with  any  outward  show 
of  sadness,  such  as  neglect  of  person,  voluntary  humility, 
or  self-inflicted  abuse  of  any  kind.  If  a  man  should  be 
seen  during  his  fast  sitting  on  the  ground,  with  rent  gar- 
ments, long  beard,  and  disheveled  hair,  sprinkling  ashes 
upon  himself,  and  setting  up  a  doleful  howl  or  hideous 
wail  toward  heaven,  he  might  excite  pity,  but  not  admira- 
tion ;  he  would  be  regarded  as  a  deranged  man,  or  a 
hopeless  victim  of  fanaticism  in  its  worst  form.  How  sig- 
nally the  Savior  of  man  rebuked  such  conduct:  "When 
ye  fast,  be  not,  as  the  hypocrites,  of  a  sad  countenance: 
for  they  disfigure  their  faces,  that  they  may  appear  unto 
men  to  fast.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  they  have  their 
reward.  But  thou,  when  thou  fastest,  anoint  thine  head, 
and  wash  thy  face ;  that  thou  appear  not  unto  men  to  fast, 
but  unto  thy  Father,  which  is  in  secret:  and  thy  Father, 
which  seeth  in  secret,  shall  reward  thee  openly,"  Matt. 
vi,  16,  17,  18.  From  this  authority  it  appears  plainly 
that  a  Christian,  on  his  fast-day,  avoiding  all  false  show 
of  piety  and  all  unworthy  motives,  should  shave  and  wash 
himself,  adjust  his  hair,  put  on  clean  apparel,  and,  acting 


d2  miscellany. 

as  in  the  sight  of  God,  maintain  the  dignity  of  a  rational, 
accountable  being.  Such  are  the  instructions  of  Him 
from  whose  authority  there  is  no  appeal. 

Much  light  is  shed  upon  this  point  of  my  subject — the 
manner  of  fasting — by  the  fifty-eighth  chapter  of  the 
prophet  Isaiah.  The  Jews  murmured  because  their  fast 
was  not  accepted  of  the  Almighty:  "Wherefore  have 
we  fasted,  say  they,  and  thou  seest  not?  Wherefore  have 
we  afflicted  our  soul,  and  thou  takest  no  knowledge  ?" 
These  were  presumptuous  interrogatories,  and  God  an- 
swered by  reproving  those  who  put  them:  "Behold,  in 
the  day  of  your  fast  ye  find  pleasure,  and  exact  all  your 
labors/'  What  folly,  to  set  apart  a  day  for  fasting,  and 
then  spend  it  as  a  mere  holiday  in  worldly  amusements, 
or  in  worldly  business !  Can  a  man  pray  and  fast,  and  at 
the  same  time  sport  and  feast?  Can  he  afflict  his  soul, 
and  mourn  over  his  sins,  and  at  the  same  time  mingle 
jovially  with  the  ungodly  in  a  ball-room  or  theater?  Can 
he  employ  his  fast-day  in  lucrative  business?  Can  he 
scheme  and  calculate,  clamor  and  drive  his  hands  to  make 
money,  and  yet  expect  God  to  accept  his  devotions  ?  Cer- 
tainly not.  But  those  complainers  did  even  worse:  "Be- 
hold, ye  fast  for  strife  and  debate,  and  to  smite  with  the 
fist  of  wickedness" — turning  the  solemn  occasion  into  a 
scene  of  wrangling  and  violence,  or  perhaps  praying  for 
the  death  of  enemies  in  war.  No  marvel  that  the  inter- 
dict should  follow,  "Ye  shall  not  fast  as  ye  do  this  day, 
to  make  your  voice  to  be  heard  on  high."  Having  ad- 
ministered this  wholesome  reproof,  the  Lord  further  ex- 
poses their  hypocritical  pretensions,  by  asking,  "Is  it  such 
a  fast  that  I  have  chosen? — a  day  for  a  man  to  afflict  his 
soul?  Is  it  to  bow  down  his  head  as  a  bulrush,  and  to 
spread  sackcloth  and  ashes  under  him?  Wilt  thou  call 
this  a  fast,  and  an  acceptable  day  to  the  Lord?"  No, 
verily.     After  exposing  all  these  abuses,  the  Lord  explains 


E  BSAYS.  53 

in  detail  the  kind  of  fast  which  he  would  accept ;  saying, 
"Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  chosen?  to  loose  the 
bands  of  wickedness,  to  undo  the  heavy  burdens,  and  let 
the  oppressed  go  free,  and  that  ye  break  every  yoke  ?  Is 
it  not  to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  that  thou  bring 
the  poor  that  are  cast  out  to  thy  house?  When  thou 
seest  the  naked,  that  thou  cover  him ;  and  that  thou  hide 
not  thyself  from  thine  own  flesh?"  From  this  more  forci- 
ble presentation  of  the  subject,  it  appears  clearly  that  the 
fast  which  God  approves,  and  has  promised  to  bless,  is 
attended  with  wrorks  of  penitence,  justice,  and  benevo- 
lence, as  well  as  piety.  We  must  loose  the  bands  of  wick- 
edness, or  repent  of  all  our  sins ;  we  must  undo  the  heavy 
burdens,  whether  inflicted  by  heartless  creditors,  or  unjust 
task-masters,  and  let  the  oppressed  go  free  from  under  the 
galling  yoke  of  bondage.  Oppression  of  our  fellow-crea- 
tures is  unjust  and  criminal  in  the  sight  of  God,  whether 
inflicted  by  cruel  husbands,  cruel  parents,  or  cruel  mas- 
ters ;  whether  inflicted  by  the  assumed  tyranny  of  political 
despots,  or  by  that  inhuman  traffic — the  slave-trade ;  and 
it  is  worse  than  useless  for  any  one  guilty  of  such  oppres- 
sion and  cruelty  to  fast  or  pray,  till  he  is  fully  determined 
to  forsake  the  evil  of  his  ways.  The  fast  which  God  has 
chosen  for  us  requires  also  works  of  charity,  dealing  bread 
to  the  hungry — at  least  as  much  as  is  saved  by  fasting — 
sheltering  the  homeless  and  friendless,  and  covering  the 
naked  with  garments,  so  that  the  blessing  of  him  who  is 
ready  to  perish  may  come  upon  us.  In  a  word,  Chris tians 
should  keep  their  fast-days  as  strictly  as  they  are  required 
to  keep  their  Sabbaths,  refraining  from  all  sinful  pleasures, 
and  from  all  temporal  business,  except  works  of  necessity 
and  works  of  charity,  and  devote  themselves  to  God  in 
prayer  and  supplication,  as  well  as  in  watchings  and 
fasting. 

The  last  general  point  to  be  considered  is  the  beneficial 
5* 


54  MISCELLANY. 

effects  of  fasting.  They  who  practice  the  duty  of  fasting 
properly,  as  above  explained,  derive  personal  benefits 
thereby.  It  aids  in  subduing  the  natural  enmity  of  the 
heart,  mortifying  the  deeds  of  the  flesh,  of  the  carnal 
mind,  that  our  souls  may  live;  it  cultivates  humility,  by 
showing  us  our  depravity,  unworthiness,  and  helplessness ; 
it  inspires  us  with  gratitude  for  the  mercies  of  God,  so 
bountifully  and  constantly  bestowed  upon  us.  As  we  can 
scarcely  appreciate  general  good  health  till  we  have  lost 
it,  so  we  can  not  properly  estimate  the  value  of  our  daily 
bread,  and  return  suitable  gratitude  to  God  for  it,  till  de- 
prived of  it  long  enough  to  feel  the  gnawing  pains  of 
hunger. 

There  are  likewise  relative  benefits  to  be  derived  from 
a  proper  performance  of  the  duty  of  fasting,  or  benefits 
accruing  to  others  besides  those  engaged  in  it,  on  the 
same  principle  whereby  one  individual  is  benefited  by  the 
prayers  of  another.  While  Cornelius  fasted  and  prayed, 
the  Gospel  was  sent  to  the  Gentiles,  who  knew  nothing  of 
the  deep  agony  of  his  heart  for  them,  the  result  of  which 
was  glorious.  When  King  Darius  had  been  insnared  by 
Daniel's  persecutors  to  sign  an  unchangeable  decree,  con- 
signing him  to  the  lions'  den,  and  found  that  he  could  not 
prevail  with  his  officers  to  have  it  reversed,  so  as  to  save 
Daniel,  though  he  labored  with  them  till  the  going  down 
of  the  sun,  he  "was  sore  displeased  with  himself."  It 
was  with  deep,  heart-felt  reluctance  that  he  had  the  fearful 
sentence  executed,  but  not  without  some  hope  that  Dan- 
iel's God  would  deliver  him.  "Then  the  king  went  to  his 
palace,  and  passed  the  night  fasting :  neither  were  instra- 
ments  of  music  brought  before  him :  and  his  sleep  went 
from  him."  Early  next  morning  the  king  was  at  the 
lions'  den,  and  cried,  "0  Daniel,  servant  of  the  living 
God,  is  thy  God,  whom  thou  servest  continually,  able  to 
deliver  thee  from  the  lions?"     Who  can  imagine  the  joy 


ESSAYS.  55 

which  thrilled  the  heart  of  that  monarch,  when  Daniel 
responded:  "0  king,  live  forever.  My  God  hath  sent  his 
angel,  and  hath  shut  the  lions'  mouths,  that  they  have  not 
hurt  me  !"  Thus,  while  wicked  courtiers  reveled  over  the 
death  of  the  good  man,  as  they  presumed,  their  afflicted 
sovereign  fasted  and  prayed  for  his  deliverance ;  and  God, 
who  was  for  him,  proved  greater  than  all  that  were 
against  him.  Great  encouragement  is  here  afforded  to 
the  children  of  God,  to  fast  and  pray  for  the  deliverance 
of  their  pious  friends  in  the  day  of  persecution  and  peril ; 
and  even  for  such  as  are  in  danger  of  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  tormentors,  worse  than  hungry,  ferocious 
lions,  that  they  may  be  spared,  awakened,  and  saved. 

The  beneficial  results  of  fasting,  in  many  cases,  have 
been  general,  extending  to  whole  communities.  While 
Esther,  and  Mordecai,  and  their  servants  and  maidens 
fasted,  enlargement  arose  to  the  Jews,  and  large  multi- 
tudes of  men,  women,  and  children  were  rescued  from 
cruel  massacre.  The  prophet  Jonah  was  sent,  by  Divine 
appointment,  to  make  proclamation,  "Yet  forty  days,  and 
Nineveh  shall  be  overthrown."  But  the  people,  moved 
by  Jonah's  preaching,  betook  themselves  to  a  rigorous 
fast.  "And  God  saw  their  works,  that  they  turned  from 
their  evil  way ;  and  God  repented  of  the  evil  that  he  had 
said  that  he  would  do  unto  them;  and  he  did  it  not." 
They  changed  their  manner  of  life,  and  he  changed  his 
manner  of  dealing  with  them.  Had  they  persisted  in 
their  wickedness  forty  days,  he  would  have  destroyed 
them ;  but  they  repented,  and  God  relented. 

In  concluding  this  article,  I  take  occasion  to  remark, 
that  we,  as  a  people,  in  these  United  States,  have  much 
reason  to  be  interested  in  the  subject  under  consideration. 
As  a  nation,  though,  perhaps,  no  worse  than  others,  our 
sins  are  numerous  and  great.  Profanity,  disregard  of  the 
holy  Sabbath,  drunkenness,  lewdness,  fraud,  and  oppres- 


56  MISCELLANY. 

sion  exist  to  an  alarming  extent.  Party  political  measures 
are  often  corrupt,  and,  sometimes,  marked  with  violence — 
threatening  even  the  disruption  of  our  Union.  The  polit- 
ical press  is  prostituted  to  demagogism  and  slander,  as  a 
general  thing,  catering  to  the  worst  passions  of  men,  and 
to  party  intrigue,  instead  of  supporting  the  country  and 
its  noble  institutions.  Men  in  high  places,  whc  should  be 
examples  of  virtue  and  piety,  are  too  commonly  degraded 
libertines.  Even  our  Churches  are  too  much  conformed 
to  the  world,  and  too  much  involved  in  bitter  controversy 
among  themselves,  when  they  have  need  to  concentrate 
their  united  energy  against  the  powers  of  infidelity  and 
sin.  Some  who  are  set  as  watchmen  upon  the  walls  of 
Zion,  to  sound  a  timely  alarm,  are  fast  asleep ;  and  many 
who  once  knew  the  way  of  righteousness  have  turned 
aside  from  the  holy  commandments  delivered  to  them, 
so  that  their  last  state  is  worse  than  the  first.  All  these 
things,  and  many  others,  cry  to  Heaven  against  us  for 
vengeance.  The  judgments  of  God  are  abroad  on  the 
earth — famine,  war,  and  pestilence  move  in  quick  succes- 
sion, sweeping  away  multitudes  of  the  guilty  inhabitants 
of  this  sin-polluted  world  into  a  fearful  state  of  retribu- 
tion. Surely,  then,  such  as  have  access  to  the  mercy- 
seat,  and  power  with  God  in  prayer,  should  fast  and  plead 
with  him,  that  we  perish  not  in  our  sins  as  a  people,  but 
live  and  prosper,  proving  to  all  the  world  that  "righteous- 
ness exalteth  a  nation."  We  have  much  encouragement 
to  return  to  the  Lord  by  penitence,  prayer,  and  fasting, 
for  there  is  forgiveness  with  him,  that  he  may  be  feared. 
And  here  again  I  earnestly  renew  the  suggestion,  that  a 
national  fast,  in  1849,  would  be  both  opportune  and 
salutary  as  anciently.  "Therefore  also  now,  saith  the 
Lord,  turn  ye  even  to  me  with  all  your  heart,  and  with 
fasting,  and  with  weeping,  and  with  mourning:  and  rend 
your  heart,  and  not  your  garments,   and  turn  unto  the 


ESSAYS.  57 

Lord  your  God ;  for  he  is  gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to 
anger,  and  of  great  kindness,  and  repcnteth  him  of  the 
evil,"  Joel  ii,  12,  13. 


FOR  BETTER,  FOR  WORSE. 
Partnerships  for  mere  purposes  of  business  and  gain, 
may  be  dissolved  whenever  the  interest,  convenience,  or 
pleasure  of  the  parties  requires.     But  there  is  a  partner- 
ship for  life.     It  blends  names  and  fortunes,  reputations 
and  destinies,  for  better,  for  worse,  for  richer,  for  poorer, 
in  sickness  and  in  health,  through,  weal  and  woe,  till  the 
parties   are   separated  by  death.     No  other  union  bears 
any  comparison  to  this  in  point  of  importance.     If  formed 
suitably  and  on  proper  principles,  nothing  earthly  contrib- 
utes so  much  to  smooth  the  rugged  path  of  life,  and  strew 
it  with  the  flowers  of  peace ;  but  if   otherwise,  nothing 
is   so  fruitful    in    discontent,   poverty,    and   wretchedness. 
When  a  man  of  honorable  principle  and  fine  sensibility 
gets  taken  in  by  the  false  appearance  of  one,  who  turns 
out  to  be  an  idle  slattern,  or  busybody  in  other  people's 
matters — by  one  who  becomes  a  by-word  and  a  proverb 
among  her  neighbors,  and  is  shunned  by  the  friends  of 
her  husband,  he  deserves  the  sympathy  of  all  who  know 
him.     But  of  all  the  sights  of  woe,  save  me  from  that  of 
a  worthy,  intelligent,  and  agreeable  Christian  lady,  bound 
for  life  to  a  rough,  ill-natured,  unprincipled  husband,  with- 
out character,  without  means  of  support,   or  industry  to 
acquire  it.     And  if  to  all  this  be  added  gross  intemper- 
ance, and  its  kindred  vices,  the  case  becomes  quite  intol- 
erable.    Yet  there  is  no  remedy  for  these  oppressive  evils, 
bad  as  they  are,  but  to  let  patience  have  its  perfect  work, 
till  death  brings  her  the  desired  relief. 


58  MISCELLANY. 

It  is  often  said,  in  connection  with  this  subject,  "There 
is  no   accounting  for  taste."     Perhaps  it  is  so  in  some 
cases,  especially  such  as  those  above  described.     Yet  I 
am  not  sure  but  some  things  connected  with  the  choice  of 
companions,  and  generally  regarded  as  mysterious,  may 
be  traced  out  and  explained  on  natural  principles.     One 
thing,  at  least,  appears  to  me,  from  long-continued  obser- 
vation, to  be  pretty  well  established,  namely :  There  is, 
both  in  men  and  women,   a  natural  proneness  to  fall  in 
love  with  those  who  form  a  contrast  with  themselves ;  and 
in  nothing  is  this  principle  so  strongly  developed,  as  in  the 
choice    of   companions   for   life.     Examples :    Large  men 
generally  select  small  wives,  and  small  men  large  wives; 
and  as  it  requires  two  to  make  a  bargain,  it  would  seem 
that  small  ladies  admire  large  husbands,  and  large  ladies 
admire    small   husbands.      A    man  of    dark    complexion, 
black  eyes  and  hair,   with  heavy,   black  mustaches,  and 
goatee  beard — resembling  that  of  the  loathsome  animal 
after  which  it  is  called — generally  selects  a  wife  with  pale 
blue,  or  light  hazel  eyes,  light  hair,  and  fair  complexion. 
If  the  husband  has  a  long,  narrow  face,  the  wife  has  a 
short  or  round  one — if  the  husband  has  a  curving  face, 
and  receding  forehead,  then  you  may  expect  to  see  a  wife 
whose  face  is  straight,  if  not  dished.     Ladies  who  have 
dark  hair  and  eyes,  and  brunette  skin,  generally  marry  hus- 
bands with  sandy  hair,  light  eyes,  and  white  complexion. 
The  pale   and  ruddy,   the   feeble  and  robust,   are,   also, 
prone  to  meet.     To  these  rules  there  are,  of  rourse,  some 
exceptions.     And  yet  they  hold  good  so  generally,  that 
one  practiced  in  observation  upon  them,  has  frequently 
pointed  out,  in  a  mixed  assembly,  a  wife  whom  he  never 
saw  before,  nor  heard  described,  by  being  previously  intro- 
duced to  her  husband,  and  pointed  out  a  husband,  in  the 
same  way,  by  being  previously  introduced  to  the  wife. 
Should  the  reader  still  doubt  the  existence  of  any  such 


ESSAYS.  59 

principle  as  the  love  of  contrast,  as  developed  in  the 
choice  of  companions,  let  him  apply  the  rule  in  a  hundred 
cases,  as  they  come,  before  he  decides. 

One  natural  consequence  of  this  system  of  choosing 
husbands  and  wives  is,  the  children  are  often  dissimilar  in 
their  appearance ;  and  when  that  is  the  case,  as  a  general 
rule,  the  sons  inherit  the  features  of  the  mother,  and  the 
daughters  those  of  the  father.  Another  consequence  is, 
the  race  of  man  is  preserved  in  a  proper  state  of  equi- 
librity,  and  his  human  identity  easily  maintained.  From 
all  which  it  might,  perhaps,  be  safely  inferred,  that  this 
love  of  contrast,  the  practical  operation  of  which  brings 
together  all  these  extremes  of  large  and  small,  long  and 

o  0*0 

short,    athletic    and   feeble,    swarthy   and   fair,    is   wisely 
implanted  in  us  by  the  benign  Creator  as  one  of  the  laws 
of  our  nature,    and  if  restricted  in  its  exercise   to   mere 
physical  considerations,  would  be  both  innocent  and  useful. 
It  may,  however,  be  indulged  to  an  injurious  extent,  and, 
like  all  other  gifts  of  Heaven,  be  abused.     Perhaps  the 
love  of  contrast  may  have  some  agency,  or,  at  least,  exert 
some  remote  influence,   in  bringing  together,   under  the 
sanction  of   an  indissoluble  union,    those   whose    natural 
dispositions,  social  habits,  moral  principles,  and  religious 
creeds,  are  not  only  variant,  but  conflicting.     The  reserved 
and  the  frank,  the  loquacious  and  the  taciturn,  the  close 
and  the  liberal,  the  meek  and  the  irritable,  the  industrious 
and  the   idle,   the   moralist  and   the  libertine,    are    often 
united  in  the  enduring  relation  of  husband  and  wife,  the 
probable  effects  of   which  can  be   more  easily  imagined 
than  endured.     There  is,  also,  among  those  who  are  gen- 
erally regarded  as  strictly  religious,  frequently  observed  a 
want  of  suitableness  in  their  marriage  connections — Pedo- 
baptists    and    Immersionists,    Calvinists    and    Arminians, 
Episcopalians  and  Independents,  Methodists  and  Presbyte- 
rians, blended  together  in  matrimonial  bonds.     That  these 


60  MISCELLANY. 

may  all  be  experimental  and  practical  Christians,  and  on 
their  way  to  heaven,  is  admitted.  Still,  they  must  suffer 
some  inconvenience  from  such  connections.  In  the  im- 
portant matter  of  attending  public  worship,  for  example, 
they  have  to  separate,  or  alternately  attend  each  other's 
Church ;  while  the  children,  it  would  seem,  scarcely  know 
to  which  Church  they  pertain.  It  would  probably  be 
better  to  adjust  this  matter,  and  guard  against  these  diffi- 
culties in  the  outset,  by  becoming  members  of  the  same 
Church,  wherever  it  can  be  done  without  sacrifice  of  prin- 
ciple or  a  good  conscience.  And,  after  all,  while  the  true 
friends  of  Jesus  marry  within  the  pales  of  his  evangelical 
Churches,  though  the  husband  and  wife  may  belong  to 
different  denominations,  there  is  but  little  ground  of  objec- 
tion. If  they  are  disposed  to  suffer  the  inconvenience 
arising  to  themselves  and  families  from  such  connections, 
so  let  it  be.  But  when  they  intermarry  with  those  who 
are  known,  or  believed  to  be  the  enemies  of  Christ,  there 
are  serious  grounds  of  objection  in  the  estimation  of  all 
the  truly  wise  and  pious.  And  among  those  grounds  of 
objection  are  the  following,  which,  I  trust,  will  be  duly 
considered  by  those  concerned. 

The  intermarriage  of  practical  Christians  with  una- 
wakened  sinners  is  inconsistent.  In  the  enterprise  of  lead- 
ing a  pious  life  to  gain  heaven,  we  need  to  avoid  every 
possible  hinderance,  and  avail  ourselves  of  all  the  help 
within  our  reach.  The  way  to  heaven  is  strait  and  nar- 
row. Why,  then,  should  we  form  any  connection  with 
those  whose  influence  would  bewilder  and  turn  us  aside? 
When  we  commenced  the  Christian  race,  we  professed  to 
lay  aside  every  weight.  Why,  then,  should  we  stop  and 
take  up  a  heavy  burden  on  the  way  ?  As  Christians,  wc 
can  make  no  compromise  with  sin,  without  abandoning 
our  principles  and  our  blood-bought  liberty,  and,  there- 
fore,  should  form  no  alliance  with   sinners,   lest  we   be 


ESSAYS.  61 

entangled  again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage.  As  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  our  heavenly  Father  speaks  to  us  on  this 
wise :  -Wherefore,  come  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye 
separate,  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not  the  unclean  thing; 
and  I  will  receive  you,  and  will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and 
ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord 
almighty."  This  we  have  professedly  done,  by  sepa- 
rating from  all  worldly  associates,  uniting  with  the 
Church  of  Christ,  and  claiming  the  promise  of  adoption ; 
and  will  we  now  abandon  our  Christian  calling,  reunite 
with  the  enemies  of  the  cross,  and  retrace  our  steps  to  sin 
and  death?  I  trust  not.  Our  baptismal  vow  requires  us 
to  renounce  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  Satan,  and  obe- 
diently keep  God's  holy  commandments.  How,  then,  can 
a  pious  female,  with  this  vow  upon  her,  deliberately  prom- 
ise, at  the  marriage  altar,  to  "obey"  one  whose  governing 
principle  of  action  is  the  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity 
against  God?  How  inconsistent!  The  thought  is  too 
absurd  to  be  entertained  for  a  moment.  She  should  dash 
it  from  her,  and  have  done  with  it  forever. 

The  marriage  of  a  practical  Christian  to  an  una- 
wakened  person  is  inconvenient.  "  How  can  two  walk 
together,  except  they  be  agreed?"  But  a  Christian  and 
an  infidel  are  agreed  in  nothing  pertaining  to  the  subject 
of  religion.  Their  belief,  their  principle  of  action,  their 
habits,  pursuits,  pleasures,  purposes,  are  all  not  only  dif- 
ferent, but  opposite.  And  here  let  it  be  observed,  that 
every  unawakened  and  impenitent  sinner  is,  practically,  an 
infidel,  though  he  may  not  be  so  professedly.  He,  of 
course,  sees  no  necessity  for  his  wife  to  be  habitually  seri- 
ous and  pious,  or  for  her  to  attend  Church  every  Sabbath, 
much  less  for  her  being  punctual  to  her  social  meetings, 
and  cultivating  the  fellowship  of  the  saints.  So  far  from 
aiding  her  to  walk  in  Christ  as  she  has  received  him,  he 
is  a  hinderance  of  the  worst  kind — worst,  because  of  his 

6 


62  MISCELLANY. 

relation  to,  and  influence  over  her  continually.  If  he  occa- 
sionally accompany  her  to  the  house  of  God,  it  is,  per- 
haps, only  to  furnish  himself  with  an  argument  to  influ- 
ence her,  in  turn,  to  go  with  him  to  a  ball,  or  theater,  or 
on  a  Sabbath-day's  excursion  of  pleasure,  that  she  may 
disgrace  her  Christian  profession,  be  censured  by  her  relig- 
ious friends,  and  finally  weaned  off  from  them  altogether. 
If  she  wish  to  have  their  children  consecrated  to  God, 
sent  to  Sabbath  school,  and  brought  up  religiously,  he 
will  probably  prefer  sending  them  to  a  dancing  school,  or 
leading  them  to  places  of  fashionable  amusement  and 
sinful  pleasure.  While  she  would  teach  them  to  pray,  he 
learns  them,  by  example,  to  neglect  it;  while  she  would 
teach  them  to  read  and  love  the  Bible,  he  furnishes  them 
with  silly  romance.  In  a  word,  while  she  aims  to  be 
religious,  get  to  heaven,  and  take  her  family  with  her,  he 
is  traveling  the  way  to  perdition,  and,  by  example,  if  not 
precept,  doing  what  he  can  to  draw  his  wife,  children,  and 
friends  after  him.  Now,  with  such  opposite  views  and 
feelings,  pursuits  and  practices,  to  say  the  least,  there  must 
be  great  inconvenience  arising  to  the  religious  party  from 
a  connection  so  intimate  and  enduring. 

For  a  Christian  lady  to  be  united  in  marriage  to  an 
unawakened  husband,  must  be  unfavorable  to  her  happi- 
ness. It  must  be  so  almost  of  necessity,  by  having  her 
wishes  crossed  continually  in  that  which  is  to  her  of  the 
greatest  moment.  For  example,  as  a  practical  Christian, 
she  wishes  her  house  to  be  a  house  of  prayer,  with  an 
altar,  on  which  shall  be  offered  daily  the  sacrifice  of 
prayer  and  praise — a  house  where  the  weekly  Sabbath  shall 
be  strictly  kept,  and  where  her  religious  friends  may  freely 
resort,  and,  without  embarrassment,  hold  pious  converse 
for  mutual  profit  and  consolation.  But  the  head  of  the 
family  being  irreligious,  there  is  no  family  prayer,  no 
proper  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  no  pleasant  religious 


ESSAYS.  63 

association,  none  of  the  songs  of  Zion;  on  the  contrary, 
tier  dwelling  is  made  a  place  of  resort  for  the  worldly- 
minded  and  impious,  by  whom  her  religion  is  not  appreci- 
ated, and  by  whom  the  name  of  her  blessed  Savior,  if 
used  at  all,  is  used  irreverently.  In  some  instances  the 
unawakened  husband  becomes  the  opposer,  ay,  the  perse- 
cutor of  his  pious  wife,  trying  to  block  up  her  way  at 
every  step,  and  venting  his  indignation  upon  her  pastor, 
and  all  others  who  extend  to  her  either  aid  or  sympathy. 
Certainly,  a  wife,  under  such  circumstances,  can  have  but 
little  enjoyment,  except  what  comes  from  anticipation  of 
deliverance  in  the  hour  of  death.  Yet  thousands  of  our 
pious  young  ladies,  from  year  to  year,  are  heedlessly 
forming  such  connections  and  becoming  victims  to  such 
like  troubles.  It  is  time  for  others  to  pause  and  think 
before  they  take  the  fearful  step.  That  a  few  such  hus- 
bands get  awakened,  converted,  and  become  agreeable 
companions,  is  not  a  sufficient  warrant  for  taking  the  risk. 
Too  many,  by  marrying  sinners,  with  the  hope  of  their 
becoming  saints,  have  ruined  their  prospect  of  happiness 
for  life. 

The  marriage  of  a  Christian  lady  to  an  unawakened 
and  impenitent  sinner  is  not  only  inconsistent,  inconven- 
ient, and  unfavorable  to  her  happiness,  but  exceedingly 
dangerous.  Every  individual  is  more  or  less  influenced  by 
his  or  her  immediate  associates,  especially  by  one  so  inti- 
mately associated  as  a  bosom  companion  for  life.  That 
influence  is  always  good  or  evil.  But,  inasmuch  as  the 
natural  tendency  of  the  human  heart  is  to  evil,  the  relig- 
ious party  is  much  more  likely  to  be  worsted  than  the  irre- 
ligious is  to  be  bettered,  and  especially  so,  if  the  irre- 
ligious party  is  head  of  the  family,  claiming  the  right  to 
rule  his  own  household.  Where  the  husband  and  .wife 
differ  essentially  in  their  views  and  professions,  feelings 
and  habits,  there  must  be  some  compromise,  or  constant 


64  MISCELLANY. 

liability  to  unpleasant  misunderstanding;  and  that  com- 
promise is  very  likely  to  be  made  at  a  sacrifice,  on  her 
part,  of  privileges  important  to  her  religious  prosperity 
and  enjoyment.  Let  all  concerned  look  well  to  this  point 
before  they  bring  upon  themselves,  by  improper  marriage, 
any  necessity  of  compromise.  Trust  not  too  much  to 
promises  of  future  reformation.  Voluntary  professions  of 
friendship  for  the  Church,  and  vows  of  future  alliance 
with  it,  made  by  unconverted  men,  anxious  to  obtain  its 
fair  and  pious  daughters  for  wives,  have  often  been  for- 
gotten or  violated  after  marriage,  when  it  was  too  late  to 
correct  the  error  of  listening  to  them.  The  united  wisdom 
of  our  Church  on  this  subject,  gathered  from  experience 
and  extensive  observation,  is  thus  briefly  expressed  in  her 
Discipline:  "Many  of  our  members  have  married  with 
unawakened  persons.  This  has  produced  bad  effects;  they 
have  been  either  hindered  for  life,  or  have  turned  back  to 
perdition."  This  is,  undoubtedly,  true  in  general.  There 
may  be  a  few  exceptions,  occasioned  by  the  early  conver- 
sion of  the  irreligious  party,  and  only  a  few,  compared 
with  the  whole  number.  Most  of  our  pious  young  females 
who  have  married  with  the  unawakened,  hoping  thereby 
to  bring  them  over  on  the  Lord's  side,  have  been  sadly 
disappointed.  It  is  a  dangerous  experiment,  try  it  who 
will.  How  can  pious  parents  give  their  religious  daughter, 
nay,  how  can  she  give  herself  to  an  enemy  of  the  blessed 
Savior — that  Savior  whom  she  ought  to  love  above  every 
thing  in  earth  or  heaven  ?  How  can  she,  as  a  child  of 
God,  promise  to  obey  one  whose  heart  is  alienated  from 
his  Creator,  whose  mind  is  enmity  against  him,  and  whose 
life  is  one  continuous  act  of  rebellion  against  his  sacred 
laws?  Let  her  consider  the  following  Scripture  author- 
ities, and  then  let  conscience  answer. 

My  first  reference  is  to  the  sixth  chapter  of  Genesis: 
"  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  men  began  to  multiply  on 


ESSAYS.  65 

the  face  of  the  earth,  and  daughters  were  born  unto  them, 
that  the  sons  of  God  saw  the  daughters  of  men  that  they 
were  fair;  and  they  took  them  wives  of  all  which  they 
chose."  That  intermarriage  of  the  pious  and  impious  not 
only  occasioned  the  Divine  threat,  "  My  Spirit  shall  not 
always  strive  with  man,"  but  led  to  a  state  of  society  in 
which  "  the  earth  also  was  corrupt  before  God ;  and  the 
earth  was  filled  with  violence.  And  God  looked  upon  the 
earth,  and  behold,  it  was  corrupt:  for  all  flesh  had  cor- 
rupted his  way  upon  the  earth.  And  God  said  unto 
Noah,  The  end  of  all  flesh  is  come  before  me;  for  the 
earth  is  filled  with  violence  through  them :  and  behold,  I 
will  destroy  them  with  the  earth."  Again:  the  prophet 
Nchemiah,  after  much  fasting  and  prayer,  was  sent  to 
Jerusalem  to  reform  certain  evils,  and,  among  others,  that 
of  improper  marriages,  saying,  "  In  those  days,  also,  saw 
I  Jews  that  had  married  wives  of  Ashdod,  of  Ammon,  and 
of  Moab:  and  their  children  spake  half  in  the  speech  of 
Ashdod,  and  could  not  speak  in  the  Jews'  language,  but 
according  to  the  language  of  each  people.  And  I  con- 
tended with  them,  and  cursed  them,  and  smote  certain  of 
them,  and  plucked  off  their  hair,  and  made  them  swear 
by  God,  saying,  Ye  shall  not  give  your  daughters  unto 
their  sons,  nor  take  their  daughters  unto  your  sons,  or  for 
yourselves."  But  the  New  Testament  rule,  which  bears 
more  directly  upon  us,  is  still  more  decisive,  and  is 
enforced  by  reasons  sufficient  to  satisfy  every  reasonable 
inquirer  after  truth  on  this  subject:  "Be  ye  not  -ine- 
qually  yoked  together  with  unbelievers  :  for  what  fellow- 
ship hath  righteousness  with  unrighteousness?  and  what 
communion  hath  light  with  darkness?  and  what  concord 
hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?  or  what  part  hath  he  that  believ- 
eth  with  an  infidel?"  This  law  is  so  appropriate  and 
pointed,  that  no  comment  could  render  it  either  plainer  or 
stronger. 

6* 


66  MISCELLANY. 

Finally :  this  article  is  not  designed  to  dissuade  mem 
bers  of  the  Church  from  marrying  with  those  out  of  the 
Church,  provided  they  be  firm  believers  in,  and  true  friends 
of  our  holy  Christianity,  properly  informed  respecting  its 
obligations,  and  earnestly  seeking  salvation,  but  to  dis- 
courage them  from  forming  any  such  connections  with  the 
enemies  of  Christ.  There  are  two  evils  against  which  1 
would  here  caution  all  who  would  be  truly  pious,  useful, 
and  happy.  One  is,  marrying  with  impenitent  sinners; 
and  the  other  is,  refusing  or  neglecting  to  get  married 
altogether,  lest  they  should  have  to  linger  out  a  tedious 
old  aee  in  solitude,  and  die  unlamented.  There  is  cer- 
tainly  no  fatal  necessity  for  falling  into  either  dilemma. 
All  Christians  who  will,  may  avoid  the  reproach  of  swell- 
ing the  list  of  old  maids  and  bachelors,  without  commit- 
ting themselves  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked,  which 
are  cruel.  There  are  many  promising  candidates  for  mat- 
rimony in  the  Church,  and  perhaps  some  out  of  it ;  and 
if  some  of  these  do  not  suit  exactly,  others  will.  In 
regard  to  this  important  enterprise,  there  is  a  proper 
medium  between  indecent  haste,  on  one  hand,  and  total 
indifference  on  the  other.  Shunning  both  extremes,  pro- 
ceed as  a  Christian  should  do,  make  it  a  subject  of  little 
conversation  with  man,  but  much  prayer  to  God;  for  it 
involves  greater  interest  than  any  other  act  of  human  life. 
Be  careful  and  prudent,  wait  patiently  the  opening  of 
Providence,  till  there  is  an  opportunity  to  form  a  safe  and 
happy  union,  then  improve  it.  And  when  such  union  is 
formed,  let  the  parties  make  the  best  of  it,  for  the  glory 
of  God,  the  good  of  society,  and  their  own  happiness. 


ESSAYS.  67 


HUMAN  LIFE. 

This  life  is  a  compound  of  good  and  evil,  pleasure  and 
pain,  toil  and  rest,  hope  and  disappointment.  On  one 
hand,  before  we  are  ushered  into  being,  a  universe  is  pre- 
pared for  our  reception  and  accommodation,  which  affords 
us  aliment  pleasant  to  the  taste,  crystal  streams  to  quench 
our  thirst,  the  balmy  air  to  inhale,  the  sun  to  light  up  the 
path  of  our  earthly  pilgrimage,  the  sweet  melody  of 
nature  to  enliven  our  feelings,  and  many  kind  friends  to 
sympathize  with  us  in  all  our  troubles.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  day  we  begin  to  live  we  begin  to  suffer,  and,  in 
one  sense,  to  die.  From  infancy  we  are  the  subjects  of 
pain,  sickness,  vexation,  anguish,  and  revenge,  till  ex- 
hausted nature  sinks  beneath  the  accumulated  weight  of 
evils,  or  till  some  of  the  multiplied  thousands  of  diseases 
to  which  humanity  is  heir,  bring  us  down  to  the  house 
appointed  for  all  the  living. 

It  is  well  for  us  that,  when  we  commence  the  journey 
of  life,  we  are  ignorant  of  what  lies  before  us;  for  if  we 
could  then  foresee  all  the  plans,  failures,  treacheries,  and 
losses,  which  come  up  in  after  life,  that  sight  would  so 
overwhelm  us,  as  to  paralyze  all  our  efforts,  and  blast  all 
our  prospects.  By  a  wise  arrangement  of  Providence,  we 
know  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth.  The  history  of 
life  is  learned  as  it  transpires.  In  the  mean  time,  Hope  is 
buoyant,  and,  though  often  disappointed,  it  is  among  the 
last  of  all  our  friends  that  forsake  us.  When  the  winds 
of  adversity  howl  around  and  threaten  to  overwhelm  us, 
Hope  reaches  within  the  vail  of  safety,  and,  like  the  mari- 
ner's anchor,  is  the  most  useful  in  a  storm.  When  pov- 
erty blights  our  earthly  possessions,  or  disease  invades 
our  domestic  circles,  and  is  permitted  to  spread  the  winter 


(jS  MISCELLANY. 

of  death  around  us,  Hope,  like  a  smiling  evergreen,  rears 
its  lovely  form  before  the  vision  of  our  desolate  hearts. 
Thus  we  are  borne  onward  through  the  changing  scenes 
of  mortal  life. 

In  contemplating  human  life,  there  is,  perhaps,  nothing 
which  strikes  us  more  forcibly,  or  admonishes  us  more 
frequently,  than  the  thought  of  its  brevity.  After  breath- 
ing for  half  a  century,  then  reviewing  the  past,  life  appears 
as  a  dream  when  one  awakes  from  his  night  slumbers  ; 
and  should  fifty  per  cent,  be  yet  added  to  the  years  of  his 
life,  he  would  be  but  a  breathing  mass  of  physical  and 
mental  weakness,  tottering  on  the  verge  of  time,  ready  to 
launch  on  the  dark  ocean  of  death.  And  is  our  race  so 
nearly  run  ?  and  are  we  so  little  concerned  about  the  end 
of  it?  Again:  how  many  millions  of  our  race,  who  came 
into  being  after  we  did,  have  gone  to  the  eternal  state ! 
Neither  childhood,  youth,  nor  manhood  has  any  security 
against  the  shafts  of  death.  Of  the  nine  hundred  millions 
of  human  beings  now  upon  earth,  as  nearly  as  can  be 
calculated,  there  is  one  birth  and  one  death  per  second,  on 
an  average.  And  are  the  children  of  men  going  into 
eternity  at  the  rate  of  sixty  per  minute,  or  three  thousand 
six  hundred  per  hour,  or  eighty-six  thousand  four  hundred 
per  day,  or  nine  hundred  millions  per  one  generation  of 
thirty  years  ?  and  is  not  our  time  at  hand  ?  Though  the 
patriarchs  lived  for  centuries,  the  life  of  man  has,  ever 
since  their  day,  been  gradually  growing  shorter,  as  he 
increases  in  the  luxuries  of  civilized  society.  In  the  days 
of  the  Psalmist,  the  years  of  his  life  were  reduced  to 
threescore  and  ton,  and,  perhaps,  now  would  scarcely 
average  thirty  years.  How  truly  it  is  said,  "  Man  that  is 
born  of  a  woman,  is  few  of  days  and  full  of  trouble.  He 
cometh  forth  like  a  flower,  and  is  cut  down:  he  fleeth, 
also,  as  a  shadow,  and  continueth  not!"  In  view  of  all 
which,  it  follows,  to  consider  our  latter  end,  so  as  to  pre- 


KS  S  A  Y  S.  09 

pan-  for  it,  is  wisdom,  and  to  neglect  it  is  madness.  "Seek 
ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found,"  Isaiah  lv,  6. 

Dying-  is  truly  a  solemn  event,  but  living  is  still  more  so, 
when  properly  considered.  For  every  act  of  life  we  arc 
accountable  to  the  great  Author  of  our  being ;  but  for  the 
pains  of  death  we  are  not  accountable.  It  is  not  in  death, 
but  while  living,  that  we  adopt  our  principles,  form  our 
characters,  and  take  our  coloring  for  eternity.  When  a 
man  dies  in  the  order  of  Providence,  he  is  not  held 
responsible  for  the  time,  place,  or  circumstances  of  his 
dissolution ;  but,  let  it  be  remembered,  the  King  of  kings 
and  Lord  of  lords  has  said,  "  For  every  idle  word  that 
men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof  in  the 
day  of  judgment."  Every  day  that  we  live  we  are  laying 
up  a  good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come,  or  treas- 
uring up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and  the  revela- 
tion of  the  righteous  judgments  of  God.  Our  business  in 
this  w^orld,  therefore,  is  to  get  well  through  and  safe  out 
of  it;  and  whoever  does  this,  shall  have  accomplished  the 
great  end  of  living ;  but  whoever  fails  herein,  will  have 
occasion  to  say,  with  the  celebrated  statesman,  when 
dying,  "Remorse;"  and  it  would  be  better  for  such  a 
delinquent  if  he  had  never  been  born. 

In  regard  to  the  termination  of  life,  that  which  should 
concern  us  most  is  to  be  prepared  for  it,  and  for  what  lies 
beyond  it.  Whether  we  sink  under  slowly-wasting  disease, 
or  break  with  sickness  in  a  day — whether  we  die  at  home, 
surrounded  with  family  and  friends,  or  abroad  amidst 
strangers,  or  entirely  alone,  is  not  material ;  but  every 
thing  depends  on  dying  in  Christ,  and  being  saved  with 
the  power  of  an  endless  life.  A  few  years  ago,  a  young 
man,  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  whose  friends  had 
assembled  to  witness  his  departure  from  this  world,  and 
catch  the  last  whispers  that  might  fall  from  his  quivering 
lips,  on  reviewing  the  countless  dangers  through  which  he 


70  M  1  S  C  E  L  L  A  N  Y  . 

had  passed,  and  surveying  the  crown  of  life,  then  full  in 
view,  amidst  the  agonies  of  death,  exclaimed,  "I  am 
safe !"  That  young  man  was  a  Christian,  and  knew 
whom  he  had  believed.  Jesus  has  vanquished  death. 
All  that  trust  in  Him,  whenever  and  wherever  they  meet 
the  pale  horse  and  his  rider,  shall  "conquer  through  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb." 


TIME. 

Time  is  a  particular  portion  or  part  of  duration,  which, 
to  us,  may  be  present,  past,  or  future.  Time,  as  it  refers 
to  this  world,  is  measured  by  days,  years,  and  centuries ; 
therefore,  it  had  a  beginning,  and  will  have  an  end. 
Hence,  the  definition  of  one  author:  "Time  is  a  fragment 
of  eternity  cut  off  at  both  ends."  Moreover,  it  is  a  re- 
vealed truth,  that  "time  is  short."  When  time  will  end 
is  unknown  to  man  or  angel,  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
informs  us :  "Of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man  ;  no, 
not  the  angels  of  heaven,  but  my  Father  only."  But  the 
manner  of  its  termination  is  revealed,  and  is  truly  awful : 
"And  the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea  and  upon 
the  earth,  lifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by  him 
that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  .  .  .  that  there  should  be 
time  no  longer."  So  soon  as  that  solemn  oath  shall  have 
been  administered,  the  heavenly  bodies  will  cease  to  re- 
volve, the  planetary  system  wrill  be  dissolved,  day  and 
night,  seed-time  and  harvest,  will  no  longer  succeed  each 
other,  and  time  will  be  lost  in  the  boundless  ocean  of 
eternity. 

The  portion  of  time  allotted  to  each  human  being,  in 
this  world,  is  extremely  limited:  "For  what  is  your  life? 
It  is  even  a  vapor,  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and 


ESSAYS.  71 

then  vanishcth  away."     And  yet  the  events  arising  out 

of  this  short  existence  are  of  infinite  moment  to  us. 
Their  effects  will  remain  forever.  The  Psalmist  exclaimed, 
''Behold,  thou  hast  made  my  days  as  an  handbreadth, 
and  mine  age  is  as  nothing  before  thee."  Yet  in  this  par- 
ticle of  time,  which,  in  comparison  of  eternity,  "is  as 
nothing,"  and  in  this  only,  may  we  prepare  for  a  state  of 
endless  being.  About  one-third  of  the  period  of  life  is 
spent  in  sleep  and  needful  recreation  for  health  and  com- 
fort. A  man  who  lives  sixty  years,  passes  about  twenty 
years  in* a  state  of  insensibility,  and  in  receiving  the  daily 
refreshments  requisite  to  sustain  his  feeble  nature.  Much 
time  is  consumed  in  journeying  and  resting,  and  much 
more  in  useless  ceremony,  and  light,  commonplace  con- 
versation. No  small  proportion  of  time  is  wasted  in  the 
pursuit  of  novelties,  and  feasting  our  eyes  on  vain  curios- 
ities. But  to  designate  all  the  means  employed  in  the 
consumption  of  time,  would  be  at  once  tedious  and  diffi- 
cult. Consequently,  the  remnant  of  time  left  for  useful 
pursuits  is  comparatively  small.  How  appropriate,  then, 
is  the  admonition  of  Solomon:  "Whatsoever  thy  hand 
findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might;  for  there  is  no  work, 
nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave 
whither  thou  goest." 

Time,  in  anticipation  of  any  desired  event,  seems  long; 
but  viewed  in  the  past,  it  appears  very  short.  It  also 
appears  differently  to  young  and  aged  people.  A  week 
appears  to  be  as  long  to  an  individual  when  youthful,  as  a 
month  does  when  he  is  far  advanced  in  life.  This  fact, 
which  has  the  sanction  of  general  experience,  speaks  vol- 
umes respecting  the  value  of  time,  and  the  importance  of 
improving  it  while  we  may.  Yet  under  the  influence  of 
restless  anxiety  respecting  some  future  event,  or  the  wast- 
ing influence  of  discontent  in  general,  time  hangs  heavily 
on  hand.     Many  who  are  thus  affected  resort  to  various 


72  MISCELLANY. 

means  of  killing  time,  when  they  should  be  studying  how 
to  improve  it  to  the  best  advantage.  A  lost  day  can  never 
be  recalled.  Each  precious  moment,  as  it  transpires, 
is  irrecoverably  gone,  and  bears  to  eternity  some  good 
or  evil  report  of  the  use  we  have  made  of  it.  Instead  of 
contriving  new  schemes  for  wasting  time,  we  should  by  all 
possible  means  strive  to  redeem  it  for  useful  purposes. 
To  this  end,  we  should  be  systematic  and  punctual  in  all 
the  duties  of  life.  "He  who  lives  not  by  rule,  lives  not 
at  all,"  said  Wesley;  that  is,  he  lives  to  no  valuable  pur- 
pose. By  saving  time  enough  to  read  a  few  chapters  of 
the  Bible  each  day,  we  may  read  the  whole  of  it  in  a 
year,  which  would  be  of  more  real  value  to  us  than  the 
self-indulgence  of  a  lifetime.  If  one-half  of  the  time 
which  is  spent  in  idle  and  unprofitable  conversation  were 
devoted  to  secret  prayer,  it  would  add  vastly  to  our  felic- 
ity in  this  life,  and  to  our  preparation  for  the  life  to  come. 
No  one  ever  regretted,  in  a  dying  hour,  that  he  had  em- 
ployed too  much  time  in  getting  ready  for  that  solemn 
scene,  but  thousands  have  lamented  to  the  last  that  they 
had  devoted  so  little  time  to  the  accomplishment  of  that 
all-important  object.  When  a  life  that  has  been  chiefly 
spent  in  the  pursuit  of  folly  is  nearly  exhausted,  how 
precious  does  lost  time  then  appear!  If  it  could  possibly 
be  redeemed,  no  consideration  would  be  thought  too  great 
for  the  ransom.  He  who  once  sought  how  to  kill  time  by 
the  hour,  now  pleads  for  it  by  the  minute,  but  pleads  in 
vain.  The  ungrateful  mortal  who  has  wasted  a  lifetime 
in  sinning  against  his  Maker,  deserves  not  to  have  his  pro- 
bation extended.  How  gladly  would  he  then  recall  the 
hours  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  sensual  gratification,  and 
convert  them  into  seasons  of  prayer,  if  it  were  possible: 
but  time  with  him  is  closing  up,  and  he  is  just  going 
"where  hope  never  comes,"  to  render  an  account  of  him- 
self to  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth.     If  a  lost  spirit  could 


I  SB  A  1  s .  73 

enjoy  one  Christian  Sabbath,  with  the  privil  ge  of  hearing 

the  Gospel,  and  its  overtures  for  repentance,  faith,  and 
salvation,  as  he  often  did  in  this  world,  who  can  imagine 
the  estimate  he  would  place  upon  it?  How,  then,  should 
we,  who  live  in  a  "day  of  merciful  visitation,"  and  in  "a 
time  accepted,"  appreciate  our  privileges,  and  improve  the 
golden  moments  as  they  pass,  remembering  that,  with  us, 
"the  end  of  all  things  is  at  hand." 


THINK  OF  DEATH. 

The  things  which  now  employ  our  thoughts  and  excite 
our  feelings,  will  soon  pass  away,  and  the  most  of  them 
will  sink  down  into  that  insignificance  which  justly  be- 
longs to  them.  Amidst  all  the  business  and  bustle  of  the 
world,  the  clamor  of  political  strife,  the  heated  fumes  of 
popular  elections,  and  the  recriminations  of  intemperate 
religious  controversy,  men  almost  forget  that  they  are 
mortal.  But,  in  the  mean  time,  a  period  is  fast  approach- 
ing, in  the  history  of  our  existence,  when  all  these  excit- 
ing matters  will  avail  us  but  little ;  we  mean  the  hour  of 
death,  which  will  exhibit  the  world  in  its  true  colors  as 
"vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit."  How  many  that  are 
figuring  on  the  stage  of  life,  will  never  see  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  plans  which  now  enlist  all  the  energies  of 
their  minds !  Before  the  frosts  of  autumn  shall  arrest 
the  march  of  disease,  they  will  go  the  way  of  all  the 
earth.  The  particular  individuals  are  not  to  be  now 
designated ;  but  none  are  certainly  exempted.  No  order 
of  talents  or  pursuit  in  life  forms  any  barrier  against  the 
king  of  terrors.  Providence  is  not  dependent  on  any  man 
to  carry  on  his  wise  and  powerful  plans  in  Church  or 
state.  It  would  be  equally  difficult  to  name  the  disease 
7 


74  MISCELLANY. 

by  which  they  will  be  removed.  Nor  is  this  of  much 
importance ;  the  consequence  in  reference  to  our  future 
destiny  is  the  same,  whether  we  sink  under  lingering  afflic- 
tion, or  are 

"  Broke  by  sickness  in  a  day." 

The  change  itself,  from  time  to  eternity,  is  a  solemn 
thing,  apart  from  the  immediate  circumstances  attending 
it;  but  this  consideration  alone  seems  to  exert  too  little 
influence  on  the  mind  of  man,  and  a  wise,  just,  and  mer- 
ciful Providence  sends  his  judgments  abroad  that  the  peo- 
ple may  learn  righteousness.  The  words  of  Christ,  "be 
ye  also  ready,"  though  always  appropriate  to  sinners  born 
to  die,  seem  to  gather  additional  strength  from  circum- 
stances for  the  last  few  years,  and  now  again  by  the  scenes 
of  mortality  in  our  country.  Apoplexies  have  been  fre- 
quent ;  the  work  of  cholera  is  short  but  sad ;  its  victims 
lie  down  at  night,  unconscious  of  any  special  danger,  and 
are  awaked  by  the  attack  of  the  mortal  foe,  to  sleep  no 
more,  except  the  sleep  of  death.  Others  rise  in  the  morn- 
ing to  resume  their  daily  employments,  but  are  seized  by 
fatal  disease,  and,  after  a  few  hours  of  agony,  which  we 
have  often  witnessed  but  can  not  describe,  sink  under  the 
cold  grasp  of  death,  before  the  shades  of  night  come  on. 

Such  a  state  of  things,  if  nothing  else,  should  teach 
men  to  "consider  their  latter  end,"  and  examine  the 
ground-works  of  their  hope  for  a  better  world.  A  state 
of  preparation  for  death  implies  much ;  which,  however, 
is  soon  told.  It  presupposes  a  thorough  conviction  and 
hearty  repentance  of  sin;  he  who  does  not  understand 
this  experimentally  has  not  taken  the  first  step  in  prepar- 
ing to  meet  God.  A  second  indispensable  part  of  the 
preparation  is,  a  clear  sense  of  the  Divine  favor  received 
through  faith  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  accompanied  by  the 
direct  witness  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Third,  the  present 
enjoyrnent  of  this  evidence,  to  the  exclusion  of  unbelief, 


ESSAYS.  75 

the  dominion  of  sin,  of  all  angry  or  bitter  feelings,  the 
willful  neglect  of  any  known  duty,  and,  in  a  word,  what- 
ever is  contrary  to  the  love  of  God  and  man.  In  such  a 
state  of  mind  as  this  there  is  solid  peace,  which  is  not 
broken  by  outward  fightings  or  inward  fears.  The  subject 
of  it  is  attended  by  the  Divine  presence  wherever  he  goes. 
When  he  retires  at  night  to  rest,  it  is  with  the  testimony 
of  a  good  conscience;  and  when  he  rises  in  the  morning, 
he  can  say,  "Thou  art  still  with  me."  With  him,  "to 
live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."  But  what  peace  ha\e 
they  who  neglect  these  things?  All  they  have  for  time 
and  eternity  is  in  jeopardy  every  hour.  They  know  not 
at  night  that  they  will  ever  see  another  day,  or  in  the 
morning  that  they  will  see  another  night  but  the  night  of 
death.  Are  they  content  to  live  as  they  list,  die  without 
hope,  and  take  a  leap  in  the  dark?  We  trust  not.  There 
is  mercy  for  them.  Christ  is  ready  to  receive  them,  and 
do  it  now:  "This  is  the  accepted  time;  behold,  now  is 
the  day  of  salvation!"  To-morrow  may  be  too  late  for- 
ever. 


PRIDE. 

"  A  man's  pride  shall  bring  him  low,"  Proverbs  xxrx,  23. 

Inordinate  self-esteem,  haughtiness  of  spirit,  and  inso- 
lent manners,  constitute  pride,  and  are  sad  proofs  of  the 
fall  of  man.  Of  all  the  features  of  the  carnal  mind,  pride 
is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  unseemly.  How  con- 
temptible all  its  subjects  appear  in  the  estimation  of  sober, 
rational  minds!  And  yet  how  generally  this  principle 
exists  in  the,  hearts  of  men,  whether  in  high  life,  low 
life,  or  the  middle  ranks  of  society.  The  ruler  and  sub- 
ject,   master   and   servant,    rich   and   poor,   scholar   and 


70  MISCELLANY. 

savage,  nominal  Christian  and  open  infidel,  all  betray  the 
symptoms  of  this  moral  disease.  Formal  confession  is 
needless.  The  evidence  appears  in  the  look  of  self- 
importance,  the  affected  air,  tone  of  voice,  wag  of  the 
head,  and  general  movements  of  the  individual  who  is 
thus  depraved.  The  case  of  such  an  individual  excites 
more  pity  than  indignation,  in  the  mind  of  a  humble 
Christian. 

But  what  has  man  to  be  proud  of  in  his  best  estate? 
Is  it  wealth?     This  is  but  trash  for  the  fire  to  burn,  the 
moth  to  eat,  the  thief  to  steal,  or  the  swindler  to  riot  on. 
Is  it  office?     This  was  given  to  him,  perhaps,  by  design- 
ing men,  who  only  wish  to  use  him  as  a  tool  to  accomplish 
their  own  unrighteous  designs,  and  which,  at  most,  he  can 
enjoy  but  a  short  time.     May  be  it  is  knowledge.    If  so,  it 
only  argues  that  he  is  still  ignorant  of  himself,  of  his  own 
weakness.     If  it  be  apparel,  it  is  only  borrowed.     It  was 
worn  before,  by  the  stalk,  silk-worm,  or  sheep.     Should  it 
be  his  person,  let  him  remember  he  is  an  animal,  who 
subsists  here  only  for  a  short  time  on  vegetables  and  the 
flesh  of  other  animals,  by  the  humiliating  process  of  diges- 
tion ;  that  he  is  a  mortal,  liable  to  disease  and  death,  des- 
tined to  the  putrefaction  of  the  grave.     Or  if  he  be  proud 
of  his  character  in  the  world,  the  principle  is  the  same; 
while  he  feeds  the  flame  of  inordinate  self-love,  by  fuel 
gathered  from  the  good  opinion  of  his  fellows ;  yet,  being 
a  proud  man,  he  is  but  a  criminal,  already  sentenced  to 
eternal  infamy,  and  is  on  his  way  to  execution:  for  "pride 
goeth  before  destruction,  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a 
fall."     In  proof  of  this,  there  are  fearful  examples  in  the 
sacred  records.     King  Nebuchadnezzar  walked  in  his  pal- 
ace with  a  proud  heart,  and  said,  "Is  not  this  great  Bab- 
ylon, that  I  have  built  for  the  house  of  the  kingdom  by 
the  might  of  my  power,  and  for  the  honor  of  my  majesty? 
While  the  word  was  in  the  King's  mouth,  there  fell  a 


ESSAYS.  77 

voice  from  heaven  saying,  .  .  .  The  kingdom  is  departed 
from  thee.  .  .  .  The  same  hour  was  the  thing  fulfilled 
upon  Nebuchadnezzar:  and  he  was  driven  from  men,  and 
did  eat  grass  as  oxen,  and  his  body  was  wet  with  the  dew 
of  heaven,  till  his  hairs  were  grown  like  eagles'  feathers, 
and  his  nails  like  birds'  claws."  His  pride  brought  him 
low. 

We  will  add  one  more  example:  "And  upon  a  set  day 
Herod,  arrayed  in  royal  apparel,  sat  upon  his  throne,  and 
made  an  oration  unto  them.  And  the  people  gave  a 
shout,  saying,  It  is  the  voice  of  a  god,  and  not  of  a  man. 
And  immediately  an  angel  of  the  Lord  smote  him,  because 
he  gave  not  God  the  glory :  and  he  was  eaten  of  worms, 
and  gave  up  the  ghost." 

Surely  these  expressions  of  Divine  indignation  against 
the  proud  of  the  earth,  should  induce  men  to  humble 
themselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  while  Jesus 
pleads  their  cause,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  strives  with  them, 
lest,  by  persisting  in  their  haughtiness,  they  fall  to  rise  no 
more  forever. 


HUMILITY. 

Humility  is  freedom  from  pride ;  modesty ;  abasement. 
It  is  of  gracious  origin;  belongs  not  to  our  fallen  nature, 
but  to  "the  new  man,"  and  is  one  of  the  fairest  ornaments 
in  the  Christian  character.  The  children  of  God  are 
exhorted  to  put  on  "humbleness  of  mind,"  that  it  may 
cover  them  as  a  garment.  He  who  does  this,  will  be  ena- 
bled not  to  "think  of  himself  more  highly  than  he  ought 
to  think,  but  to  think  soberly." 

He  will  not  estimate  himself  below  what  he  knows  to 
be  the  truth,  much  less  abuse  himself  before  his  friends 
7* 


78  MISCELLANY. 

beyond  what  he  deserves;  for  this  is  voluntary  humility, 
and  is  mostly  used  by  such  as  wish  to  give  others  an  occa- 
sion to  speak  in  their  praise ;  whereas  genuine  humility  is 
modest,  unassuming,  not  disposed  to  intrude  its  subject 
into  public  notice  unnecessarily. 

Yet  it  does  not  supersede  real,  moral  courage,  or  stand 
in  the  way  of  duty.  If  a  man  possess  knowledge,  humil- 
ity does  not  require  him  to  profess  ignorance,  but  to  avoid 
making  pretensions  that  are  uncalled  for,  or  mere  display. 
If  he  be  saved  from  sin,  through  faith  in  Christ,  it  does 
not  require  him  to  profess  present  guilt,  but  to  acknowledge 
his  dependence ;  nor  does  it  allow  him  to  bury  his  talent 
and  destroy  his  usefulness,  lest  he  be  thought  forward. 

But  all  this  is  reconcilable  to  great  self-abasement — 
another  part  of  humility — on  account  of  our  innate  de- 
pravity and  consequent  weakness — a  sense  of  past  unfaith- 
fulness and  present  un worthiness.  He  who  recollects  his 
sins  with  pleasure,  though  committed  "  ignorantly  in 
unbelief,"  before  he  professed  conversion,  has  just  cause 
to  doubt  his  change  of  heart;  and  he  who  can  think 
of  his  sins  committed  after  such  profession,  and  not 
abhor  himself  and  repent,  as  in  dust  and  ashes,  has  good 
reason  to  doubt  his  present  safety.  Even  the  joys  of 
religion  do  not  remove  a  man's  sense  of  his  dependence 
and  unworthiness ;  but  they  save  him  from  despair,  both 
in  reference  to  present  acceptance  and  future  felicity. 

To  sum  all  up  in  a  few  words,  a  humble  man  is  neither 
haughty  nor  mean,  but  modest  and  yet  manly.  He  does 
not  blow  the  trumpet  of  his  own  fame  or  disgrace,  but 
fearlessly  performs  his  duty  with  a  proper  sense  of  his 
unworthiness  and  entire  dependence  on  God.  Such  a 
character  will  always  secure  respect  from  such  as  know 
him.  He  may  take  the  lower  seat  at  the  feast,  but  his 
brethren  will  lead  him  to  the  highest  one ;  the  less  dis- 
tinction he  seeks,  the  more  will  be  conferred  upon  him. 


ESSAYS.  7$ 

But,  better  than  all  this,  the  Lord  of  all  pronounces  him 
blessed:  "lie  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted," 
for  "God  resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  unto  the 
humble." 


INEQUALITY  IN  PROPERTY. 

The  right  of  private  property  is  not  incompatible  with 
the  sacred  Scriptures,  nor  is  there  any  wrong  in  efforts  to 
acquire  wealth  on  proper  principles,  and  from  proper  mo- 
tives ;  yet,  unless  he  keep  a  single  eye,  there  is  much  dan- 
ger to  the  Christian,  both  in  the  pursuit  and  use  of  wealth. 
While  "the  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich,"  let  him 
remember  "riches  profit  not  in  the  day  of  wrath."  There- 
fore, "if  riches  increase,  set  not  your  heart  upon  them." 
Christ  says,  "A  rich  man  shall  hardly  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven" — meaning,  it  is  with  difficulty  he 
can  be  saved.  But  no  one  who  does  his  duty  as  a  Chris- 
tian, will  be  cumbered  with  much  Avealth.  Whatever  he 
has  more  than  sufficient  to  render  himself,  his  family,  and 
those  immediately  dependent  on  him  comfortable,  together 
with  what  he  needs  to  keep  up  their  support  by  carrying 
on  a  reasonable  share  of  business,  he  is  bound  to  give  for 
the  support  of  piety  and  benevolence.  Those  who  feel 
any  interest  in  this  subject,  as  it  is  connected  with  their 
soul's  salvation,  are  referred  to  Mr.  Wesley's  sermon  on 
the  right  use  of  money,  in  which  he  reduces  all  to  these 
simple  rules :  Gain  all  you  can,  save  all  you  can,  and  give 
all  you  can.  If  these  rules  were  observed  by  all,  none 
would  suffer  for  the  substantiate  of  life.  It  is  probable 
our  heavenly  Father  has  provided  just  enough  of  tempo- 
ral blessings  to  meet  the  real  wants  of  his  creatures, 
laking  the  world  at  large.     To  say  he  has  provided  less, 


80  MISCELLANY. 

would  impeach  his  mercy;  to  say  he  had  provided  more, 
would  be  a  poor  compliment  on  his  wisdom.  And  the 
general  distribution  of  these  blessings  by  his  providence, 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  when  every  thing  is  taken 
into  the  account,  will  be  found  nearly  equal.  But  there 
is  a  more  special  distribution  of  these  things  committed  to 
us,  who.  as  stewards  of  our  Lord's  goods,  will  have  to 
give  an  account  of  the  use  or  abuse  of  them.  JSTow,  a 
failure  to  use  the  blessings  of  heaven,  as  required  by 
Gospel  rules,  is  what  produces  the  extremes  of  intemper- 
ate feasting  on  one  hand,  and  starvation  on  the  other. 
Some  have  not  enough,  because  others  have  too  much. 
Some  have  nothing,  because  others  have  a  superabund- 
ance. If  the  rich  man,  who  was  clothed  in  purple  and 
fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day,  had  divided 
his  income  liberally  with  the  beggar  which  lay  at  his  gate 
among  the  dogs  of  his  flock,  half  clothed  with  rags,  and 
desiring  to  be  fed  with  the  crumbs  which  fell  from  his 
table,  would  there  not  have  been  enough  to  relieve  the 
reasonable  wants  of  both  ?  Let  those  among  us  who  roll 
in  affluence  and  revel  in  luxury,  think  of  the  hungry 
orphan  who  cries  for  bread,  the  discouraged  widow  who 
has  no  income,  no  employment,  and  sits  weeping  over  the 
forlorn  prospects  of  her  helpless  children;  let  them  re- 
member the  afflicted  poor,  destitute  of  medicine,  nourish- 
ment, and  fuel,  without  a  cent  of  money,  or  a  kind  friend 
to  whom  they  dare  make  known  their  wants.  He  that 
giveth  to  the  poor,  lendeth  to  the  Lord,  with  whom  the 
principal  is  safe,  and  the  interest  certain. 


ESSAYS.  81 


COMPARATIVE  HAPPINESS. 

All  men  are,  in  some  degree,  capable  of  happiness. 
All  desire  and  pursue  it  in  some  form  or  other.  None 
obtain  it  unmixed  in  this  life  ;  and  but  few  enjoy  it  to  any- 
great  extent.  Yet  some  enjoy  it  more  than  others.  These 
propositions  are  so  obviously  true,  that  it  would  be  lost 
labor  to  attempt  any  proof  of  them.  But  the  admission 
of  the  last,  that  some  men  enjoy  more  felicity  than  others, 
would  seem  to  justify  an  inquiry  as  to  those  circumstances 
in  life  which  are  the  most  favorable  to  that  desirable 
object.  On  this  subject  I  will  venture  a  few  thoughts  in 
reference  to  the  following  points :  Property,  residence, 
intellect,  employment,  and  future  prospects. 

As  regards  property,  he  enjoys  most  contentment,  who, 
like  Agur,  has  "neither  poverty  nor  riches."  Extreme 
indigence  renders  a  man  too  dependent,  and  much  wealth 
brings  too  many  cares ;  while  a  medium  condition  is  meas- 
urably relieved  from  both. 

Residence.  An  extreme  frontier,  with  all  its  hardships 
and  privations,  is  not  a  comfortable  home  to  most  people. 
A  crowded  city,  with  its  plagues,  its  confusion,  and  moral 
pollution,  is  equally  uncomfortable.  They  are  both  ex- 
tremes not  to  be  desired.  A  good  country  neighborhood, 
or  neat  village,  while  it  is  free  from  the  objections  above 
named,  affords  all  necessary  comforts  and  conveniences, 
and  is  the  more  desirable  place  to  those  whose  circumstan- 
ces and  business  allow  them  to  make  a  choice. 

Intellect.  If  one  whose  intellectual  powers  are  very 
limited,  enjoys  but  little  rational  pleasure,  he  has,  at  least, 
this  consolation :  he  cares  for  but  little,  and  has  but  little 
to  answer  for.  A  master  spirit,  or  mind,  of  the  very  first 
order,   need  not  be  envied   by  those   less  distinguished. 


82  MISCELLANY. 

His  responsibility,  in  exact  proportion  to  his  strength,  is 
sufficiently  fearful  to  mar  his  peace.  But  being  always 
overrated,  it  is  impossible  to  meet  the  expectation  of  all ; 
and  he  suffers  mortification  because  of  the  disappointment 
of  friends  and  clamor  of  enemies.  A  man  whose  ability 
is  just  sufficient  for  practical  usefulness  in  his  profession, 
or  calling,  without  any  attractive  brilliancy,  suffers  less 
mortification  and  enjoys  more  real  satisfaction,  than  one 
much  distinguished  by  the  splendor  of  his  talents.  For 
though  the  latter  may  occasionally  receive  great  applause, 
this  only  prepares  him  for  greater  chagrin  when  he  makes 
the  next  failure  in  an  attempt  at  popular  display. 

Employment.  Men  do  not  receive  any  increase  of  hap- 
piness from  being  placed  on  prominent  ground  and  ex- 
posed to  public  scrutiny :  on  the  contrary,  if  they  possess 
due  sensibility,  it  greatly  disturbs  their  repose.  You  may 
pity  the  slave  of  the  planter,  and  envy  the  man  put  in 
high  authority,  but  they  are  both  slaves,  with  this  differ- 
ence :  one  is  subject  to  the  caprice  of  a  single  master, 
while  the  other  has  to  please,  or  incur  the  censure  of 
many  masters,  of  various  opinions  and  conflicting  interest. 
Nothing  but  a  sense  of  duty,  or  a  desire  of  doing  good, 
can  reconcile  any  sensible  man  of  experience  to  accept 
any  office,  either  in  Church  or  state,  if  he  consult  his  own 
personal  enjoyment.  If  any  seek  promotion  at  the  ex- 
pense of  domestic  happiness,  for  the  "loaves  and  fishes," 
they  pay  dearly  for  them.  So  far  as  employment  is  con- 
cerned, those  men  are  the  most  happy  who  live  privately  on 
the  fruit  of  their  own  labor.  Farmers  and  mechanics  need 
not  envy  cardinals  or  demagogues,  kings  or  conquerors. 

Future  prospects. — Much  of  our  present  enjoyment 
depends  on  our  future  prospects.  Present  possessions, 
held  in  uncertainty,  or  with  the  expectation  of  losing  them 
in  a  short  time,  afford  but  little  satisfaction.  Hence, 
though  a   man  may  have  wealth,   a  comfortable  home, 


ESSAYS.  83 

popular  talents,  and  honorable  employment,  yet,  if  these 
be  held  in  unrighteousness,  without  a  reasonable  expect- 
ation of  future  bliss,  they  suffice  him  not.  One  thought 
of  eternity  destroys  all  his  comfort.  Whatever  a  man 
may  be  otherwise,  if  he  is  a  sinner  against  God,  he  carries 
a  hell  in  his  own  heart,  and  shudders  at  the  thought  of  a 
general  judgment,  when  he  allows  himself  to  think  at  all. 
But  if  a  man  possess  heart-felt  religion,  it  not  only  sweet- 
ens all  the  pleasures  of  this  life,  but  assures  him  of  future 
bliss.  With  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart,  he 
has  "the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come."  Without  this,  nothing  can  make  him 
truly  happy;  with  it,  nothing  can  make  him  really 
miserable. 


CONTENTMENT. 

Contentment  is  a  virtue,  the  value  of  which  may  be 
inferred,  both  from  the  felicity  it  affords,  and  the  misery 
that  ensues  from  the  want  of  it. 

Happiness  does  not  consist  so  much  in  outward  things, 
as  in  the  state  of  the  mind.  To  be  contented  is  to  be 
happy.  "A  contented  mind  is  a  continual  feast."  And 
this  may  be  enjoyed  under  every  variety  of  outward  cir- 
cumstances, provided  the  heart  is  right. 

But  restless  discontent  is  characteristic  of  our  fallen 
nature.  Most  of  the  human  family  are  dissatisfied  with 
their  earthly  allotment,  with  their  location,  their  calling, 
and  their  respective  circumstances.  Every  relation  in 
life,  every  position  in  society,  has  its  own  peculiar  diffi- 
culties. Each  individual  seems  to  imagine  that  his  is  the 
hardest  case.  All  that  can  be  truly  inferred  from  this, 
however,  is  that  he  knows  more  of  his  own,  and  less  of 


84:  MISCELLANY. 

his  neighbor's  difficulties.  Hence,  the  world  is  full  of 
complaints.  They  come  from  high  places  and  low  places, 
from  public  life  and  from  private  life — all  indicating  a 
destitution  of  contentment. 

But  from  this  extreme  of  restlessness,  some  are  re- 
moved to  the  other — of  stoical  indifference.  They  mani- 
fest a  listless  indifference  to  all  the  events  of  life,  right  or 
wrong,  pleasant  or  unpleasant.  Evils  are  coming,  dangers 
are  threatening,  poverty  and  real  suffering  are  staring 
them  in  the  face,  ready  to  fall  upon  them  and  their  fam- 
ilies; but  they  are  unmoved.  Such  indifference  is  not 
contentment,  but  criminal  inattention  to  duty.  "A  pru- 
dent man  foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth  himself:  but  the 
simple  pass  on,  and  are  punished." 

Now,  contentment  is  the  happy  medium  between  the 
extremes  of  restless  discontent  and  criminal  indifference. 
It  brings  rest,  quietude  of  mind,  not  from  ignorance  of 
our  real  condition,  nor  from  heedlessness,  but  from  a  con- 
sciousness of  having  done  our  duty,  and  a  willingness  to 
trust  Providence  for  the  result,  and  make  the  best  we  can 
of  our  actual  circumstances,  whatever  they  may  be.  If 
the  means  of  bettering  our  condition  be  within  our  reach, 
we  should  avail  ourselves  of  them ;  but  if  not,  why  should 
we  afflict  ourselves  by  fruitless  regrets?  "What  can  not 
be  cured  must  be  endured."  And  why  not  bear  it  with  a 
"meek  and  quiet  spirit?" 

One  very  common  source  of  discontent  is  an  unreason- 
able anxiety  for  worldly  gain.  Each  one,  according  to  his 
avocation,  prospects,  and  supposed  ability  for  the  acquisi- 
tion of  wealth,  luxury,  and  fame,  fixes  his  standard,  and 
pursues  his  object  with  avidity.  But  unforeseen  diffi- 
culties arise,  many  of  his  calculations  fail,  defeat  succeeds 
defeat,  till  at  length  his  fortitude  forsakes  him,  and,  stung 
with  disappointment,  he  sinks  down  into  the  sullen  gloom 
of  despondency,  dissatisfied  with  the  world,  with  himself, 


ESSAYS.  85 

and  with  every  thing  around  him.  Others,  who  are  suc- 
cessful in  gaining  the  first  point  aimed  at,  beholding  other 
and  higher  objects  ahead,  become  more  anxious  to  secure 
them,  than  they  were  to  reach  the  first,  vainly  supposing 
the  more  they  acquire  of  wealth,  honor,  and  influence, 
the  more  happiness  will  ensue.  But  in  the  end  they  learn 
that  "a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the 
things  which  he  possesseth."  On  the  contrary,  the  more 
wealth  the  more  care,  the  more  honor  the  more  trouble, 
and  the  more  influence  the  greater  the  responsibility  and 
danger. 

Most  of  our  discontent,  growing  out  of  either  penury 
or  affluence,  might  be  avoided,  by  adopting  the  prayer  of 
Agur:  "Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches;  feed  me 
with  food  convenient  for  me."  The  contented  man,  so 
far  as  property  is  concerned,  is  he  who  is  neither  pressed 
with  want,  nor  burdened  with  the  care  of  a  superabund- 
ance, but  knows,  from  experience,  that  "godliness  with 
contentment,  [or  the  true  religion,  with  a  competency,]  is 
great  gain."  He  reasons  thus:  "For  we  brought  nothing 
into  this  world,  and  it  is  certain  we  can  carry  nothing  out. 
And  having  food  and  raiment,  let  us  be  therewith 
content." 

Another  excellent  means  of  promoting  contentment  is 
comparing  our  own  circumstances  with  those  of  other 
people,  and  also  with  what  ours  might  be.  If  our  health 
be  poor,  it  might  be  worse.  Our  private  and  domestic 
trouble  might  be  vastly  increased.  If  we  know  little, 
there  are  others  who  know  less.  If  our  privileges  be  few, 
there  are  some  people  who  have  fewer.  If  we  enjoy  but 
few  luxuries,  there  are  multitudes  wholly  destitute  of 
them.  If  we  have  but  little  of  earthly  store,  there  are 
many  who  have  less,  and  some  who  have  nothing,  but  are 
homeless,  houseless,  and  friendless.  Even  our  blessed 
Savior  exclaimed,  "  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds 
8 


S6  MISCELLANY. 

of  the  air  have  nests ;  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where 
to  lay  his  head." 

"  But,  lo !  a  place  lie  hath  prepared 

For  me,  whom  watchful  angels  keep; 
Yea,  he  himself  becomes  my  guard; 

lie  smooths  my  bed,  arid  gives  me  sleep." 

So  far,  then,  from  having  any  just  cause  of  complaint, 
we  have  much  cause  of  gratitude.  Our  comforts  are  far 
greater  than  we  deserve.  How  reasonable  and  how  ap- 
propriate is  the  admonition,  "Let  your  conversation  be 
without  covetousness ;  and  be  content  with  such  things  as 
ye  have ;"  or  satisfied  with  the  lot  which  Providence  as- 
signs you. 

But  perfect  contentment  can  be  secured  and  maintained 
only  by  that  grace  which  reconciles  us  to  the  will  of  God 
in  all  things.  Under  its  influence,  Paul  declared,  "I  have 
learned,  in  whatsoeA'er  state  I  am,  therewith  to  be  con- 
tent." Happy  are  all  they  who  attain  to  such  knowledge. 
They  have  nothing  to  wish  for  and  nothing  to  deprecate, 
only  in  accordance  with  the  will  of  their  heavenly  Father. 
Relieved  from  all  painful  anxiety,  in  patience  they  possess 
their  souls,  and  "rejoice  evermore."  With  them  it  is  an 
easy  and  pleasant  task  to  live  right  and  feel  contented; 
and  to  them  the  words  of  the  apostle  are  not  grievous : 
"Be  careful  for  nothing;  but  in  every  thing  by  prayer  and 
supplication  with  thanksgiving  let  your  requests  be  made 
known  to  God.  And  the  peace  of  God,  which  passeth  all 
understanding,  shall  keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through 
Christ  Jesus." 


WESTERN  STYLE  OF   LIVING. 
I  have  been  carefully  observing  the  mode  of  living 
among  the  people  of  the  western  states  for  a  period  of 


ESSAYS.  87 

forty  years.  Great  changes  have  appeared  during  that 
time.  Of  the  fifty-seven  years  of  my  life,  thirty-six  have 
been  spent  in  the  employment  of  an  itinerant  preacher, 
affording  me  the  best  practical  means  of  information. 
Moreover,  I  am  the  son  of  a  western  pioneer,  who  was  in 
the  celebrated  battle  at  Point  Pleasant  in  1774,  and  sub- 
sequently identified  with  the  Indian  wars,  till  Wayne's 
treaty  of  1795.  Of  course  it  is  matter  of  much  interest 
with  me  to  note  the  changes  in  the  society  of  the  far- 
famed  west;  and  it  may  be  of  some  little  interest  to  the 
reader  to  see  some  of  those  changes  briefly  pointed  out. 
1  shall  limit  myself  chiefly  to  a  few  items  pertaining  to 
the  style  of  living,  which  may  serve  to  remind  us  that, 
while  the  real  wants  of  man  are  comparatively  few  and 
simple,  the  imaginary  ones  scarcely  have  any  bounds.  I 
shall,  however,  not  take  into  the  account  the  wealthy  aris- 
tocrat, with  his  costly  mansion,  Turkey  carpets,  silver 
plate,  and  thousand  dollar  carriage ;  nor  the  extremely 
poor  man,  who  lives  in  a  wretched  hovel,  on  a  floor  of 
earth,  and  sleeps  on  his  bundle  of  straw.  They  are  both 
exceptions  to  the  general  rule.  My  few  observations  shall 
have  reference  to  the  great  mass  of  western  population. 

What  is  now  considered  an  ordinary  outfit  for  house- 
keeping? A  domicile  with  parlors,  hall,  chambers,  sitting- 
room,  dining-room,  kitchen,  and  cellar.  To  furnish  these 
apartments,  there  must  be  Scotch  or  Brussels  carpets, 
hearth-rugs,  brass-mounted  andirons,  window-blinds,  or- 
namented or  cushioned  chairs,  rocking-chairs,  sofas,  side- 
boards, bureaus,  wardrobes,  cloak-racks,  wash-stands,  ele- 
gant bedsteads,  with  testers  or  canopies,  dressed  with 
curtains  and  valance,  dressing-tables  and  mirrors,  break- 
fast-tables and  dinner-tables,  with  their  tea  sets  and  dinner 
sets  of  China  and  Britannia,  and  silver  spoons,  beside 
cooking  stoves,  etc.  Now,  this  may  answer  for  a  com- 
mencement, as  far  as  it  goes ;  but  who  would  ever  think 


38  MISCELLANY. 

of  keeping  house  without  a  center-table,  richly  covered, 
on  which  to  lay  the  nice  little  volumes  done  up  in  gilt  and 
morocco?  which,  however,  being  intended  as  mere  orna- 
ments, are  fortunately  seldom  or  never  read.  Or  who 
could  endure  to  see  a  parlor  so  naked,  and  out  of  all  fash- 
ion, as  not  to  have  some  mantle  ornaments,  such  as  arti- 
ficial flowers,  with  glass  covers,  or  some  specimens  of 
conchology  and  geological  formations?  Beside,  the  walls 
must  not  only  be  papered,  but  beautified  with  portraits, 
landscapes,  etc.  These  commonplace  notions  amount  to 
quite  a  clever  sum,  though  they  are  as  few  and  economical 
as  western  people  of  this  day,  who  make  any  pretension 
to  being  stylish,  can  well  get  along  with.  Indeed,  they 
form  only  a  part  of  the  numerous  and  indispensable  fix- 
tures of  modern  housekeeping.  Again :  to  procure  the 
viands,  such  as  are  in  keeping  with  this  array  of  furniture, 
and  maintain  a  force  requisite  to  serve  up  and  hand  them 
round,  and  keep  all  the  affairs  of  the  household  in  order, 
will  cost  another  round  sum — to  say  nothing  of  parties 
and  extras. 

With  this  modern  style  I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  briefly 
contrasting  the  early  style  of  living  in  the  western  coun- 
try. When  a  young  married  couple  commenced  house- 
keeping, forty  years  ago,  a  very  small  outfit  sufficed,  not 
only  to  render  them  comfortable,  but  to  place  them  on  an 
equality  with  their  friends  and  neighbors.  They  needed 
a  log-cabin,  covered  with  clapboards,  and  floored  with 
wooden  slabs,  in  western  parlance  called  puncheons,  and 
the  openings  between  the  logs  closed  with  billets  of  wood 
and  crammed  with  mortar,  to  keep  all  warm  and  dry — all 
which  a  man  could  erect  himself,  without  any  mechanical 
training,  with  one  day's  assistance  from  his  neighbors  to 
raise  the  logs.  Usually,  one  room  answered  for  parlor, 
sitting-room,  dining-room,  kitchen,  and  dormitory,  while 
the  potato  hole  under  the  puncheons,  formed,  of  course, 


ESSAYS.  89 

by  excavating  the  earth  for  mortar,  was  a  good  substitute 
for  a  cellar.  As  to  furniture,  they  needed  a  stationary 
corner  cupboard,  formed  of  upright  and  transverse  pieces 
of  boards,  arranged  so  as  to  contain  upper,  lower,  and 
middle  shelf,  to  hold  the  table-ware  and  eatables.  In 
order  to  comfort  and  convenience,  it  was  requisite,  also, 
to  have  the  following  articles :  one  poplar  slab  table,  two 
poplar  or  oak  rail  bedsteads,  supplied  with  suitable  bed- 
ding, and  covered  with  cross-barred  counterpanes  of  home- 
made, one  of  which  was  for  the  accommodation  of  visit- 
ors ;  six  split-bottomed  chairs,  one  long  bench,  and  a  few 
three-legged  stools  were  amply  sufficient  for  themselves 
and  friends;  a  half  a  dozen  pewter  plates,  as  many  knives 
and  forks,  tin  cups,  and  pewter  spoons  for  ordinary  use,  and 
the  same  number  of  delf  plates,  cups,  and  saucers  for  spe- 
cial occasions ;  also,  one  dish,  large  enough  to  hold  a  piece 
of  pork,  bear  meat,  or  venison,  with  the  turnips,  hominy, 
or  stewed  pumpkin.  All  this  table-ware  was  kept  in  the 
corner  cupboard,  and  so  adjusted  as  to  show  off  to  the  best 
advantage,  and  indicated  that  the  family  were  well  fixed 
for  comfortable  living.  When  the  weather  was  too  cold 
to  leave  the  door  or  the  window  open,  sufficient  light  to 
answer  the  purpose  came  down  the  broad  chimney,  and 
saved  the  expense  of  glass  lights;  and  as  for  andirons, 
two  large  stones  served  as  a  good  substitute.  The  whole 
being  kept  clean  and  sweet,  presented  an  air  of  comfort 
to  the  contented  and  happy  inmates.  It  is  true  the  cook- 
ing was  usually  done  in  presence  of  the  family,  but  was 
soon  dispatched,  when  the  Dutch  oven  and  skillet  were 
nicely  cleaned  and  stowed  under  the  cupboard,  and  the 
long-handled  frying-pan  hung  upon  a  nail  or  peg  on  one 
side  of  the  door,  while  the  water  pail  was  situated  on  the 
other,  and  the  neat  water  gourd  hanging  by  it.  For  man- 
tle ornaments  they  had  the  tin  grater,  used  in  grating  off 
the  new  corn  for  mush  before  it  was  hard  enough  to 
8* 


00  MISCELLANY. 

grind,  and  the  corn-splitter,  being  a  piece  of  deer's  hom, 
very  useful  in  parting  large  ears  of  Indian  corn  for  the 
cattle.  The  parlor  walls  were  sufficiently  beautified  by 
the  surplus  garments  and  Sunday  clothes  hung  all  round 
on  wooden  pins,  the  sure  tokens  of  industry  and  prosperity. 
In  regard  to  property,  if  a  man  owned  an  ax,  wedge, 
hoe,  plow,  and  a  pony  to  pull  it,  and  a  bit  of  ground 
to  cultivate,  or  a  few  mechanics'  tools,  he  asked  no  more ; 
and  if  his  wife  had  a  spinning-wheel,  a  pair  of  cards,  a 
loom,  and  plenty  of  the  raw  material  of  flax,  cotton,  and 
wool,  she  was  content.  In  those  days  keeping  her  own 
house  was  a  small  part  of  a  woman's  work — it  was  only 
needful  recreation  from  her  steady  employment;  for  she 
carded,  spun,  colored,  wove,  cut  and  made  clothes  for  all 
the  family.  Ladies  of  the  first  respectability  then  vied  in 
honorable  competition,  to  manufacture  the  finest  and  most 
tasty  dresses  for  themselves,  and  the  most  handsome  suits 
for  their  husbands,  sons,  and  brothers,  in  which  they  all 
appeared  abroad  with  more  exquisite  pleasure  than  people 
now  do  in  imported  satin  and  broadcloth,  and  with  far 
more  credit  to  themselves  and  honor  to  their  country. 
For  coloring  materials  they  used  the  bark  of  walnut,  hick- 
ory, maple,  and  sycamore  trees,  together  with  copperas, 
indigo,  sumach,  paint-stone,  etc. ;  and  in  carding  for  a 
fancy  suit  of  mixed,  they  worked  in  scraps  of  colored 
flannel  and  silk  to  variegate  the  texture.  Those  were  the 
days  of  pure  republicanism,  true  patriotism,  and  real  inde- 
pendence. All  the  money  a  man  needed  was  enough  to 
pay  his  tax  and  buy  his  salt  and  iron.  When  he  needed 
marketing,  he  gathered  fruit  from  his  orchard,  vegetables 
from  his  garden,  and  took  a  pig  from  the  pen,  or  a  lamb 
from  the  fold ;  or  if  he  had  neither,  he  took  his  gun  and 
brought  in  wild  meat  from  the  woods.  He  raised  his  own 
breadstuff,  and  ground  it  on  the  hand-mill,  or  pounded  it 
in  a  mortar  with  a  sweep  and  pestle,  and  relished  it  the 


K  S  B  A  V  S  .  91 

better  for  his  toil  in  preparing  it.  Coffee  was  not  then 
used,  except  as  a  luxury  on  particular  occasions,  by  a  few 
of  the  wealthy.  Milk  was  considered  far  preferable.  For 
tea  they  had  sage,  spicewood,  mountain  birch,  and  sassa- 
fras, which  they  regarded  then,  and  which  I  still  regard 
as  altogether  preferable  to  black  tea,  young  hyson,  or  im- 
perial, both  for  health  and  the  pleasure  of  taste.  Supplies 
of  saccharine  were  easily  obtained  from  the  sugar-tree  or 
bee-gum,  and  those  who  had  neither,  gathered  wild  honey 
from  the  bee  tree.  When  medicine  was  needed,  they 
obtained  it  from  their  gardens,  fields,  or  forests;  but  they 
had  little  use  for  it.  Children  were  not  then  annoyed 
with  shoes  and  boots,  or  hats  and  bonnets — they  went 
barefooted  and  bareheaded.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing 
to  see  small  boys  trapping  for  birds  or  hunting  rabbits  in 
the  snow  without  shoes  or  hats,  and  small  girls  playing 
about  the  yard  in  the  same  condition — all  the  very  pic- 
tures of  health.  Reared  under  that  system,  young  men 
were  able  to  endure  the  toils  of  a  frontier  life,  or  brave  the 
perils  of  a  hard  campaign  in  the  service  of  their  country. 
Young  ladies  needed  no  paint,  the  rosy  cheek  being  sup- 
plied by  the  flush  of  perfect  health.  In  those  days  I 
never  heard  of  dyspepsy,  bronchitis,  or  any  of  the  fash- 
ionable diseases  of  this  generation.  Doctors  were  then 
scarce  among  us,  and  had  but  little  to  do.  If  a  man 
was  afflicted  with  pain  or  catarrh,  and  felt  chilly,  he  drank 
herb  tea,  wrapped  himself  in  a  blanket,  and  slept  with  his 
feet  before  the  fire.  If  he  was  sick,  he  abstained  from 
food.  If  he  had  a  slight  fever,  he  drank  tea  of  snakeroot, 
mountain  ditney,  or  other  sudorifics,  till  he  started  the 
perspiration.  Or  if  he  had  a  severe  attack  of  settled 
fever,  after  exhausting  his  simple  remedies,  he  laid  him- 
self in  a  cool  place,  drank  abundance  of  cold  water,  his 
wife  or  sister  fanned  him  with  the  wing  or  tail  of  a  turkey, 
and  he  committed  himself  to  the  keeping  of  a  kind  Provi- 


92  MIS  C  ELLA  N  Y  . 

dence,  without  being-  plied  with  blisters  or  dosed  •with 
poison.  Calomel,  the  Samson  of  fashionable  remedies, 
was  scarcely  known  here  in  those  days,  and  people  usually 
retained  their  teeth  and  jaw-bones  unimpaired,  even  to  old 
age,  or  while  they  lived. 

Many  people,  such  as  would  be  thought  Solomons  of 
this  day,  assume  that  their  fathers  and  mothers  were  de- 
plorably ignorant,  but  without  any  sufficient  proof  or  sat- 
isfactory reason.  People  possessed  at  least  as  much  com- 
mon sense  forty  years  ago  as  their  posterity  do  at  present. 
If  they  had  fewer  opportunities  for  improvement,  they 
made  better  use  of  them  ;  if  fewer  books,  they  were  better 
ones,  or  better  read ;  so  that,  while  our  fathers  and  moth- 
ers knew  less  of  newspapers,  novels,  and  annuals,  they 
understood  more  of  the  Bible,  useful  history,  and  practical 
life.  One  fact  is  palpable,  and  should  not  be  overlooked 
nor  forgotten ;  that  is,  the  present  generation,  with  all  its 
rage  for  education  and  improvement,  can  not  show  any 
more  eloquent  preachers,  learned  jurists,  able  statesmen, 
or  successful  generals,  than  those  which  lived  in  the  days 
of  our  fathers.  What  improvement  there  is  in  morals,  if 
any,  is  attributable  to  the  Gospel.  That  the  "age  of  im- 
provement" has  produced  vast  changes  in  the  manners 
and  usages  of  society,  is  admitted;  but  whether  for  the 
better  or  worse,  is  another  question,  and  one  which  would 
admit  of  much  argument  on  both  sides.  While  the  mod- 
ern style  of  living  affords  more  luxury  and  elegance  than 
the  former  style,  it  is  attended  with  more  expense  and 
trouble,  and  exerts  a  more  corrupting  influence  on  soci- 
ety— leads  to  more  idleness,  vanity,  crime,  and  wretched- 
ness. The  pleasure  of  social  intercourse  is,  I  believe,  not 
increased,  but  diminished.  One  example  on  this  item 
must  suffice.  Call  on  a  friend  at  her  own  house,  and  she 
is  locked  up.  You  must  first  apply  at  the  pull  of  the  door- 
bell, or  the  knocker ;  then  wait  a  long  time  for  the  servant ; 


E  8  8  A  Y  8  .  1)3 

and  if  not  repulsed  at  once  by  the  fashionable  cant,  "  Too 
much  engaged,"  or  the  fashionable  falsehood,  "Not  at 
home,"  you  must  next  send  your  name  and  request  for 
an  interview ;  and  after  waiting  from  a  quarter  to  half 
hour  longer,  you  may  obtain  an  audience  at  last,  though 
dearly  bought  with  loss  of  time  and  sacrifice  of  feeling. 
Whereas,  under  the  usage  of  former  days,  so  soon  as  you 
knocked  on  the  door,  you  heard  the  familiar  response, 
"  Come  in;"  then,  by  pulling  the  string  which  hung  out- 
side, you  raised  the  wooden  latch,  stepped  into  the  family 
circle,  met  with  a  welcome  reception,  received  a  hearty 
shake  of  the  warm  hand  of  friendship,  and,  being  seated, 
felt  perfectly  at  home  as  long  as  you  chose  to  remain. 
Such  were  the  days  of  simple-hearted,  honest  friendship, 
when  social  life  was  unembarrassed  by  the  affected  and 
heartless  etiquette  of  modern  times. 


CHILD  OF  THE  WEST. 

The  west  is  my  native  land.  I  love  her  for  the  vast- 
ness  of  her  territory,  her  long  rivers,  capacious  lakes,  and 
extensive  prairies.  I  love  her  for  her  lofty  elevations  and 
fertile  valleys,  her  enterprising  population  and  valuable 
productions.  I  love  her  for  her  cities  and  wastes,  her 
schools  and  churches,  her  great  men  and  great  women, 
her  hopeful  youth  and  numerous  children.  That  section 
of  the  United  States  is  attracting  the  attention  of  all  the 
civilized  world,  especially  of  the  more  enterprising  por- 
tions. She  exhibits  much  to  interest  the  eye  and  stir  the 
deep  feelings  of  the  heart.  Among  her  native  inhabitants 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  characters  of  the  nineteenth 
century — I  mean  the  Child  of  the  West,  born  in  the 
Queen  City,  January,  1841.     She  is  well  grown  for  ono 


\)4:  MISCELLANY. 

of  her  age,  but  betrays  nothing  gawkish  in  her  appear- 
ance, or  confused  in  her  manner.  Her  physical  develop- 
ment and  mental  improvement  are  in  advance  of  her 
years.  She  never  engages  in  childish  gambols  like  her 
neighbors'  children,  and  has  no  relish  for  gewgaws,  but 
dresses  with  neatness  and  good  taste,  changing  her  vesture 
as  circumstances  require,  but  not  blindly  following  in  the 
train  of  fashion.  The  ground  of  her  vestal  robe  is  a 
snow  white,  variegated  with  a  small,  dark  figure,  and 
trimmed  with  the  most  delicate  hues  of  pink  and  straw. 
Her  head-dress,  curiously  wrought,  is  grave,  but  beau- 
tiful, and  varies  to  suit  the  season ;  now  figured  over  with 
landscapes  of  cottages  and  herds,  flowers  and  evergreens, 
and  then  ornamented  with  cascades  and  mountain  scenery, 
and  again  with  some  monument  of  moral  sublimity.  Her 
form  is  a  perfect  model  of  symmetry,  and  her  personal 
beauty  at  once  striking  and  attractive.  Her  prudent  de- 
meanor and  amiable  disposition  indicate  maturity  of  all 
the  moral  virtues.  She  never  betrays  any  ill  temper  or 
envious  feeling,  never  participates  in  any  exciting  or  angry 
dispute  respecting  political  or  ecclesiastical  affairs,  but  is 
always  frank  to  express  her  own  well-formed  opinion  on 
every  subject  properly  pertaining  to  her  sex,  age,  and 
relation  in  life.  Her  mental  capacity  is  confessedly  of 
high  order;  and,  though  yet  a  mere  child,  she  is  a  ripe 
scholar.  In  all  the  substantial  branches  of  education,  she 
is  above  criticism.  No  mistake  in  orthography,  syntax, 
or  even  punctuation,  can  be  detected  in  her  ordinary  com- 
positions. Her  memory  is  richly  stored  from  the  best 
ancient  and  modern  authors,  and  her  fancy  highly  embel- 
lished with  brilliant  poetry.  Her  summaries  of  history 
and  biography  have  been  eagerly  read  by  thousands  of 
the  literati.  Her  mind  is  thoroughly  instructed  in  the 
natural  and  moral  sciences,  and  her  reasoning  faculty  well 
developed  by  exercise  in  logical  investigation.     As  to  her 


ESSAYS.  95 

belles-lettres  accomplishments,  they  are  unsurpassed  by 
any  of  her  age  in  the  United  States.  She  is  a  most  agree- 
able companion  in  social  life,  and  a  general  favorite  among 
all  the  better  classes  of  society  having  any  acquaintance 
with  her,  especially  such  as  have  the  advantage  of  a  polite 
Christian  education.  Her  friends  are  numerous  and  rap- 
idly increasing.  She  has  already  very  many  admirers 
anxiously  seeking  her  society  in  person  or  by  correspond- 
ence. The  choicest  trait  in  her  character  is  her  piety. 
Though  not  a  bigot,  she  is  orthodox  and  firm  in  her  relig- 
ious principles,  and  lays  all  her  brilliant  attainments  and 
commanding  capabilities  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  of  Christ, 
thus  teaching  the  fallen  race  of  man  "the  path  of  life" 
by  the  force  of  example.  I  write  the  more  confidently  of 
this  remarkable  child,  having  known  her  from  infancy. 
Indeed,  her  parents  consulted  me  respecting  her  name 
and  early  education,  being  myself  a  personal  friend  of  all 
her  principal  teachers.  The  name  first  suggested  for  her 
was,  "  Ladies'  Monitor,"  but  she  was  finally  christened 
"  Ladies'  Repository."  Child  of  the  West,  "  many  daugh- 
ters have  done  virtuously,  but  thou  excellest  them  all !" 


ZEAL. 

This  is  a  very  common  term,  but  one  that  appears  to 
be  not  generally  well  understood.  The  learned  say,  it 
comes  from  a  word  which,  in  its  primitive  signification, 
means  heat;  but  when  used  figuratively,  and  applied  to 
the  mind,  it  means  earnestness  excited  by  ardent  desire. 
Religious  zeal  is  fervent  love ;  in  the  absence  of  love  there 
is  no  zeal,  though  there  may  be  much  religious  frenzy. 
The  zeal  recommended  in  the  Gospel  does  not  depend  on 
a  man's  ability,  but  on  his  earnest  desire  to  do  all  he  can 


96  MIS  C  E  LLANY. 

for  Christ.  Nor  on  the  strength  of  his  voice,  but  the 
strength  of  his  attachment  and  the  whole  amount  of  his 
exertion,  on  every  score,  according  to  his  ability.  "  It  is 
good  to  be  zealously  affected  always  in  a  good  thing;" 
but  we  should  take  heed  lest  our  zeal  be  "not  according 
to  knowledge."  Some  men  would  pass  for  zealous 
patriots,  because  they  clamor  for  liberty  and  for  the 
country,  while  they  are  slaves  to  their  own  passions,  and 
violate  the  laws  of  their  country  by  a  daily  course  of 
licentiousness  and  profanity.  In  like  manner,  some  men 
would  impose  themselves  on  community  as  zealous  Chris- 
tians, because  they  make  a  loud  profession,  and  aim  to  be 
distinguished  on  all  popular  occasions,  while  their  hearts 
are  full  of  envy  and  bitterness.  These  only  deceive  them- 
selves, by  striving  to  deceive  others. 

There  are  some  common  rules  for  estimating  true  zeal, 
that  are  plausible  and  pass  currently,  whicl7,  nevertheless, 
are  fallacious:  such  as  those  quick  and  strong  feelings 
of  the  heart  that  are  natural  to  some  people,  independent 
of  any  religious  influence,  or  a  bold,  hurried,  and  boister- 
ous method  of  speaking  for  or  against  any  measure  under 
consideration.  We  are  far  from  supposing  that  true  zeal 
can  not,  or  does  not  often  belong  to  such  as  possess  these 
native  properties ;  but  we  do  suppose  that  the  zeal  of  such 
is  often  overrated,  while  that  of  other  persons  possessing 
different  peculiarities,  is  underrated  by  superficial  observ- 
ers. One  preacher  studies  closely,  prays  much  in  secret, 
fasts  often,  visits  the  sick  faithfully,  watches  over  his 
charge  diligently,  preaches  frequently,  and,  in  a  word, 
devotes  his  whole  time,  strength,  and  talents  to  the  service 
of  his  Lord  and  Master,  whom  he  loves  supremely,  and 
yet,  with  some  people,  he  has  no  zeal;  because  he  either 
has  not  strength,  or  does  not  think  it  advisable,  when  in 
the  pulpit,  to  use  intemperate  exertions  by  screaming  like 
the  world  was  on  fire,  and   as  if  he  was  sure  he  would 


ES  S  A  T  8.  97 

never  need  any  health,  or  strength  to  preach  or  pray  at 
another  time.  Another  preacher  studies  but  little,  prays 
less,  lounges  about,  laughs  and  talks  with  the  people 
about  every  trifle,  and  spends  but  little  of  his  time  and 
influence  in  promoting  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  yet  he  is 
esteemed,  by  many,  a  very  zealous  preacher;  because  he 
has  a  strong  voice,  a  fluency  of  words,  much  native  ani- 
mation as  a  speaker,  gets  his  feelings  enlisted,  and  drives 
on  like  a  raging  storm  that  soon  spends  its  fury,  and  is 
followed  by  a  great  calm. 

The  same  distinction  is  apparent  among  private  Chris- 
tians. One  is  punctual  to  every  duty,  whether  in  the 
closet,  family,  class-room,  or  public  worship.  He  is 
active  to  promote  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the 
Church  by  giving  largely  of  his  substance,  and  faithful 
to  his  neighbors,  striving  to  lead  them  to  Christ  by  pious 
example  and  holy  conversation;  yet  he  has  no  zeal,  in 
the  opinion  of  some,  because  he  can  not  sing  and  pray  as 
loud  as  others.  But  another  member,  who  neglects  all 
these,  to  a  great  extent,  is  thought  to  be  very  zealous, 
because  he  has  a  loud,  shrill  voice,  and  sings  and  prays 
with  all  his  bodily  strength. 

We  must  not  be  understood  as  objecting  at  all  to  every 
man  using  his  own  proper  gift,  and  adopting  his  own 
peculiar  manner  of  using  it,  whether  vehement  or  moder- 
ate ;  but  at  the  same  time  we  think  to  judge  of  a  man's 
zeal,  which  is  the  thing  under  consideration,  his  whole 
course,  and  the  whole  amount  of  his  exertion,  according 
to  his  strength  and  ability,  must  be  taken  into  the  account. 
These  thoughts  have  been  suggested  by  much  observation 
for  many  years  on  the  movements  of  religious  people ;  and 
though  they  are  not  intended  to  be  applied  to  any  partic- 
ular individual,  or  individuals,  we  hope  they  may  encour- 
age some  whose  zeal  is  not  sufficiently  commended,  and 
assist  some  reader  to  form  a  charitable  judgment  in  the 

0 


98  MISCELLANY. 

case.  For  a  full  and  satisfactory  explanation  of  the 
whole  subject,  we  would  refer  the  reader  to  Mr.  Wesley's 
sermon  on  the  nature  and  properties  of  true  Christian 
zeal,  second  volume  of  his  standard  works. 


BEIEVOLENCE. 
The  social  virtues  often  appear  most  lovely  when  viewed 
in  contrast  with  their  opposite  vices.    Both  have  their  living 
examples.     A  man  of  misanthropic  spirit  may  be  strictly 
moral  in  his  general  deportment,  and  scrupulously  honest 
in  all  his  dealings ;  but  the  principle  of  his  action  is  not 
benignity ;  it  is  selfishness.     Philanthropy  has  no  place  in 
his  heart.     Like  the  snail  in  his  contracted  shell,  he  lives 
to  himself,   caring  nothing  for  the  happiness  of  others. 
But  the  benevolent  man  is  influenced  by  a  habitual  feeling 
of  good-will  to  his  fellows,  one  which  is  indicated  by  gen- 
tleness of  manner  and  tenderness  of  expression  in  all  his 
intercourse  with  society,  as  well  as  by  the  free  bestowment 
of  charity  where  it  is  needed.     It  is  not  difficult  to  deter- 
mine which  of  the  two  is  more  happy.     A  morose  man 
is  miserable  in  himself,  and  renders   all  about  him   un- 
happy, by  his  sullenness  and  selfishness ;  while  the  truly- 
benevolent  individual  enjoys  felicity  himself,  and  imparts 
the  same  to  those  around  him,  by  breathing  a  spirit  of 
cheerfulness  and  accommodation.     One  possesses  so  little 
confidence  in  his  fellow-creatures,  that  he  regards  every 
man  with  suspicion  till  he  proves  himself  worthy;    the 
other  allows  every  one   to  be  innocent  till  he  is  proved 
guilty.     And  each  of  these  opposite  characters  forms  his 
estimate   of   others  by  the  confidence  he  has  in  himself. 
Thus  benevolence  insures  its  own  reward,  and  selfishness 
its  own  punishment.     The  former  draws  around  itself  the 


ESSAYS.  99 

generous  and  good;  the  latter  repels  them,  and  seeks  the 
misery  it  deserves.  One  is  the  offspring  of  heaven,  and 
the  other  of  sin. 

Benevolence  leads  its  possessor  to  imitate  the  Savior  of 
the  world,  who  "went  about  doing  good"  to  the  souls  and 
bodies  of  men.  It  renders  him  more  careful  to  learn  the 
wants  and  miseries  of  human  beings,  than  to  ascertain  the 
nation,  sect,  or  party  to  which  they  pertain.  He  who  is 
blessed  with  a  benevolent  heart,  delights  to  direct  the 
lonely  stranger  on  his  way,  to  supply  the  ignorant  with 
the  means  of  enlightenment,  to  encourage  the  poor  in 
their  honest  endeavors  to  acquire  a  living,  and  the  unfor- 
tunate in  the  pursuit  of  happiness.  How  joyfully  he 
leads  the  unprotected  orphan  to  the  asylum  of  safety, 
points  the  inquiring  youth  to  the  fountain  of  knowledge, 
or  administers  a  word  of  consolation  to  the  broken- 
hearted! When  the  incautious  and  the  simple-hearted 
are  about  to  be  insnared  in  the  meshes  of  vice,  or  drawn 
into  the  vortex  of  dissipation,  how  promptly  he  warns 
them  of  their  danger!  Like  Job,  he  can  say,  "Because 
I  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and 
him  that  had  none  to  help  him,  the  blessing  of  him  that 
was  ready  to  perish  came  upon  me,  and  I  caused  the  wid- 
ow's heart  to  sing  for  joy."  Show  him  a  fellow-mortal 
suffering  with  hunger,  and  he  is  ready  to  divide  with 
him  his  last  loaf  of  bread.  When  told  of  any  that  are 
afflicted,  and  in  need  of  aid,  how  he  hastens  to  their 
relief!  Point  out  to  him  a  human  being  borne  down  by 
sickness  and  poverty,  and  he  waits  not  to  inquire  whether 
the  suffering  individual  be  Jew  or  Christian,  Turk  or 
Pagan,  much  less  whether  he  be  orthodox  or  otherwise. 
So  far  as  the  exercise  of  benevolence  to  the  unfortunate  is 
concerned,  he  regards  every  man  as  his  brother.  While 
some  would  seek  excuse  for  withholding  aid  and  comfort 
on  the  score  of  demerit,  he  only  needs  to  know  that  the 


100  M1SOELLA  N  V  • 

sufferer  is  now  destitute  and  afflicted,  and  he  is  ever  ready 
to  relieve  him  to  the  extent  of  his  ability.  Many  worthy 
persons  have  been  left  in  a  state  of  entire  destitution,  and 
others  may  be.  But  suppose  the  sufferer  to  have  brought 
his  misery  upon  himself,  still,  the  voice  of  inspiration  pro- 
claims, "If  thine  enemy  hunger,  feed  him;  if  he  thirst, 
give  him  drink."  How  much  more  should  we  regard  the 
cries  of  a  suffering  neighbor,  or  disconsolate  stranger, 
that  never  offended  us  in  word  or  deed !  While  'the  man 
of  wealth  enjoys  his  comfortable  habitation,  his  cheerful 
fireside,  and  his  well-furnished  table,  some  of  his  worthy, 
but  unfortunate  neighbors,  may  be  exposed  to  the  winter's 
storm,  howling  round  and  driving  through  their  frail  ten- 
ements, shivering  with  cold,  pinched  with  hunger,  and 
wasting  with  despair.  And  why  does  he  not  fly  as  an 
angel  of  mercy  to  their  rescue?  Because  benevolence 
and  he  are  strangers  to  each  other.  Give  him  a  heart 
imbued  with  that  spirit  of  love,  and  he  sleeps  not  till  they 
are  warmed  and  fed. 

Inducements  to  the  practice  of  benevolence  are  numer- 
ous and  potent.  None  of  us  are  fully  assured  that  we 
shall  never  need  the  charity  we  now  withhold  from  others ; 
for  no  one  knows  to  what  extremities  he  may  be  reduced 
by  reverse  of  fortune.  "Therefore,  all  things  whatsoever 
ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them;  for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets."  No  man  is 
independent  of  this  golden  rule.  Should  we  desire  relief, 
if  reduced  to  extreme  poverty  by  adversity  and  protracted 
indisposition?  Then  let  us  extend  it  to  others.  And  let 
no  one  suppose  that  he  is  loser  by  bestowing  a  portion  of 
his  wealth  upon  the  Lord's  poor — the  very  purpose,  in 
part,  for  which  it  was  placed  in  his  hands.  "He  tha( 
hath  pity  upon  the  poor,  lendeth  unto  the  Lord ;  and  thai 
which  he  hath  given  will  he  pay  him  again."  Other  in- 
vestments may  fail ;  but  all  deposits  made  in  the  bank  of 


ESSAYS.  101 

Leaven  are  both  safe  and  productive;  "for  God  is  not 
unrighteous,  to  forget  your  work  and  labor  of  love." 
Another  inducement  to  practice  benevolence  is,  the  happi- 
ness derived  therefrom.  While  the  obliged  beneficiary 
enjoys  pleasure,  arising  from  the  exercise  of  contentment 
and  gratitude,  in  having  his  wants  supplied,  let  it  be 
remembered,  that  the  giver  has  still  higher  enjoyment, 
from  a  conscious  discharge  of  duty,  in  relieving  the  dis- 
tressed. "It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
Who  would  deprive  himself  of  such  felicity,  by  holding 
on,  with  a  miser's  grasp,  to  the  gold  that  perishes  ?  and, 
what  is  still  worse,  subject  himself  to  the  fearful  judg- 
ment, "Depart  from  me ;  ...  for  I  was  an  hungered, 
and  ye  gave  me  no  meat,"  etc.?  Again:  the  exercise  of 
benevolence  is  encouraged  by  an  offered  mansion  in 
heaven.  "Make  to  yourselves  friends  of  the  mammon  of 
unrighteousness;  that  when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive  you 
into  everlasting  habitations."  When  Washington,  after 
successfully  leading  an  army  of  patriot  soldiers  to  con- 
quest and  American  independence,  returned  from  the  con- 
flict, covered  with  honors,  and  appeared  among  his  grate- 
ful countrymen,  with  what  enthusiastic  delight  they 
received  him !  But  when  the  benevolent  Christian,  hav- 
ing so  used  his  wealth  as  to  secure  the  love  and  gratitude 
of  the  pious  poor,  dies  and  goes  where  they  have  gone, 
with  how  much  more  delight  will  they  hail  him  welcome 
into  mansions  of  heavenly  bliss!  The  greetings  of  those 
redeemed  spirits  on  the  shore  of  endless  life  will  surely  be 
a  full  reward  for  feeding  and  clothing  them  on  their  jour- 
ney thither 


9* 


102  MISCELLANY 


SELFISHNESS. 

Selfishness  is  generally  understood  to  mean,  the  exclu- 
sive regard  of  a  person  to  his  own  interest  or  happiness. 
It  originates  in  the  depravity  of  our  fallen  nature,  is  nur- 
tured by  mistaken  views  of  our  own  personal  importance, 
and  produces  much  evil  in  the  world.  When  an  individual 
abandons  himself  to  the  full  operation  of  this  inhuman 
principle,  he  reminds  those  around  him  of  a  surly  mastiff 
that  gnaws  his  bone  and  growls,  lest  another  should  get  a 
taste.  Selfishness  is  not  a  stranger,  or  new-comer  among 
us.  It  is  an  old  acquaintance  in  every  land,  and  a  busy- 
body in  nearly  all  communities,  and  thus  renders  itself  as 
common  as  it  is  contemptible.  This  pest  of  society  fre- 
quently creeps  into  a  public  coach,  and  is  always  con- 
tending for  the  best  seat,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  com- 
pany. It  is  often  seen  in  the  crowded  steamboat,  pushing 
and  clamoring  for  the  choice  berths,  scrambling  for  a 
prominent  chair  at  the  first  table,  and  quarreling  with  the 
steward,  unless  waited  on  to  the  neglect  of  all  other  pas- 
sengers. In  no  place,  however,  does  selfishness  render 
itself  more  prominent  than  on  the  highway,  where  an 
observing  traveler  may  read,  with  tolerable  certainty,  the 
disposition  and  general  character  of  all  he  meets.  Every 
liberal,  high-minded  gentleman,  in  all  possible  cases,  will 
give  at  least  half  of  the  road,  while  every  selfish,  unprin- 
cipled man  drives  right  in  the  middle  of  the  track,  and 
compels  you  to  turn  off,  without  any  regard  to  your  con- 
venience or  safety.  Having  long  observed  the  practical 
working  of  this  rule,  I  am  persuaded  it  may,  in  general, 
be  relied  on  as  correct. 

Again :  how  common  is  selfishness  among  business  men 
in  the  various  departments  of  mechanism  and  commerce  1 


ESSAYS.  103 

They  too  generally  seem  determined  to  promote  self- 
interest,  whatever  may  become  of  their  neighbors.  The 
maxim,  "Every  man  for  himself,"  governs  the  many; 
while  the  maxim,  "Live  and  let  live,"  governs  the  few. 
With  the  former  class,  the  temporal  prosperity  of  a  fortu- 
nate neighbor  occasions  envy  and  regret ;  with  the  latter, 
it  occasions  respect  and  gratulation.  One  class  of  traders, 
who  deal  in  intoxicating  liquors,  are  so  much  under  the 
influence  of  selfishness,  as  to  deal  out  poison  to  the  vicious 
for  gain,  without  any  concern  for  the  health,  morals,  lives, 
or  families  of  their  customers.  Some  deal  it  by  the  barrel 
for  bank  notes,  and  others  by  the  dram  for  coppers ;  thus 
inflicting  human  misery,  wholesale  and  retail,  for  "filthy 
lucre."  And  does  not  selfishness  have  something  to  do 
with  the  principles  and  movements  of  professional  men, 
at  least  some  of  them  ?  Are  there  not  lawyers  that  en- 
courage strife  and  litigation  among  the  people  for  the  sake 
of  getting  a  fee  ?  Would  not  one  school,  or  class  of  phy- 
sicians, if  in  their  power,  monopolize  the  practice,  and 
drive  all  others  out  of  the  land  ?  But,  unfortunately  for 
the  accomplishment  of  their  object,  the  people  have  a 
right  to  make  their  own  selection.  Do  politicians,  in  gen- 
eral, legislate  for  the  country  at  large,  or  for  the  advance- 
ment of  party  interests?  And  when  demagogues  clamor 
for  office,  is  the  design  to  serve  the  "dear  people,"  or  to 
serve  their  own  personal  aggrandizement?  That  is  the 
question,  and  it  is  easily  answered. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  all  Churches,  even,  are  free  from 
the  debasing  principle  of  selfishness.  It  would  seem  that 
some  of  them,  not  content  with  laboring  to  build  up  their 
own  cause  by  fair  means,  seek  to  do  it  foully,  by  endeav- 
oring to  pull  down  others.  Ay,  and  some  who  are  called 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  of  peace,  unable  or  unwilling  to 
multiply  hearers  and  converts  by  their  own  efforts,  or  the 
Divine  blessing  upon  them,  endeavor  to  do  it  by  secretly 


104  MISCELLANY. 

proselyting  those  of  their  more  successful  neighbors.  This 
is  ungenerous  and  inglorious.  I  have  long  believed  that 
deliberate,  underhanded  proselyting  from  one  Church  to 
another,  is  very  near  akin  to  sheep-stealing.  If  it  do  not 
fix  upon  a  minister  the  charge  of  felony,  it  does,  at  least, 
show  him  to  be  selfish.  No  such  proceedings,  on  the  part 
of  any  Church,  or  its  minister,  will  ever  secure  a  healthy 
tone  of  action,  or  a  permanent  state  of  religious  prosper- 
ity. We  may  not  do  evil  that  good  may  come.  Paul 
said,  "For  our  rejoicing  is  this,  the  testimony  of  our  con- 
science, that  in  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  not  with 
fleshly  wisdom,  but  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  have  had  our 
conversation  in  the  world,  and  more  abundantly  to  you- 
ward,"  2  Cor.  i,  12.  And  it  would  be  a  fortunate  circum- 
stance for  society  in  general,  and  the  Church  of  Christ 
especially,  if  we  could  all  say  the  same  thing. 

The  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  if  fully  carried  out,  would  go  far  toward  coun- 
teracting selfishness,  both  in  the  ministry  and  membership. 
Methodist  itinerancy,  especially,  is  a  self-sacrificing  sys- 
tem, bearing  alike  upon  the  pastors  and  their  flocks.  The 
former  engage  not  to  choose  their  own  fields  of  labor,  and 
the  latter  not  to  choose  their  own  pastors;  but  all  agree 
to  abide  a  regular  interchange,  according  to  the  best  judg- 
ment of  the  appointing  power,  under  the  prescribed  rules 
and  limitations  enacted  by  the  General  conference.  Every 
traveling  minister,  previous  to  his  admission  into  full  con- 
nection, consents  to,  and  promises  to  keep  the  following, 
commonly  known  as  the  twelfth  rule:  "Act  in  all  things 
not  according  to  your  own  will,  but  as  a  son  in  the  Gospel. 
As  such,  it  is  your  duty  to  employ  your  time  in  the  man- 
ner in  which  we  direct;  in  preaching,  and  visiting  from 
house  to  house;  in  reading,  meditation,  and  prayer. 
Above  all,  if  you  labor  with  us  in  the  Lord's  vineyard,  it 
is  needful  you  should  do  that  part  of  the  work  which  we 


ESSAYS.  105 

advise,  at  those  times  and  places  which  we  judge  most 
for  his  glory."  This  rule  being  read  or  referred  to,  the 
candidate  is  asked  if  he  has  considered  it,  and  whether  he 
will  keep  it  for  conscience'  sake;  and  an  affirmative  answer 
is  one  condition  of  his  being  received  into  full  connection 
and  elected  to  orders.  This  solemn  pledge  is  given  in 
presence  of  the  conference  about  to  receive  him  as  a  fel- 
low-laborer. Most  of  the  brethren  throughout  the  con- 
nection, or  union  of  conferences,  sacredly  keep  this  prom- 
ise, and  find  it  not  grievous,  but  joyous.  And  if  there  be 
no  selfishness  at  work  among  us  to  blind  the  mind,  vail 
the  heart,  and  impair  the  memory,  how  could  any  breth- 
ren, in  view  of  this  pledge,  and  their  own  professed  creed, 
reconcile  it  to  their  conscience  to  maneuver  for  popular 
appointments?  And  a  response,  as  if  echoed  from  the 
tombs  of  our  fathers,  asks,  How?  On  the  other  hand, 
the  members  of  the  Church,  by  assenting  to  the  rules  and 
promising  to  keep  them,  as  one  condition  of  being  received 
into  full  membership,  engage  to  receive  and  support  the 
ministers  regularly  appointed  to  serve  them  as  pastors 
from  year  to  year.  Consequently,  when  the  brethren  of 
any  circuit  or  station  reject  the  regular  appointee  from 
conference,  they  inflict  an  injury  upon  the  rejected  minis- 
ter, violate  their  own  rules,  evince  a  revolutionary  spirit, 
and  seriously  injure  themselves  in  the  estimation  of  their 
brethren,  both  of  the  ministry  and  membership.  I  am 
fully  persuaded,  however,  that  the  people,  as  such,  seldom 
or  never  do  reject  their  ministers;  but  it  is  occasionally 
done  by  a  few  would-be-thought  leading  spirits,  that  not 
only  do  their  own  thinking,  but  modestly  assume  to  think 
for  all  the  rest.  Those  few  brethren,  in  their  own  estima- 
tion, are  the  Church,  the  people,  and  two  or  three  such 
ofien  claim  to  speak  for  three,  five,  or  seven  hundred 
Church  members  and  their  friends  that  worship  with  them. 
In  some  cases  they  do  this  wholly  unauthorized  by  any 


106  MISCELLANY. 

part  of  the  Church ;  in  other  cases  they  profess  to  act  as 
a  committee  appointed  by  the  stewards,  or  trustees,  or 
both  jointly.  Well,  suppose  they  are  appointed  thus, 
where  do  stewards  and  trustees  obtain  any  authority  to 
think,  feel,  and  act  for  three,  five,  or  seven  hundred 
Church  members  respecting  their  choice  of  a  pastor? 
The  membership,  generally,  wish  to  have  ministers  qual- 
ified to  build  up  the  Church,  and  get  their  neighbors  con- 
verted, while  stewards  and  trustees  do  not  object  to  this, 
it  is  true;  but  often  feel  most  concerned  about  the  money; 
they  want  a  minister  that  can  raise  the  money,  or,  in  other 
words,  do  his  own  work  and  theirs  too.  Thus  the  few 
that  interfere  with  the  difficult  and  responsible  duties  of 
the  appointing  power,  more  frequently  mistake,  and,  there- 
fore, misrepresent,  the  real  wishes  of  the  people  generally, 
than  otherwise.  And  it  sometimes  happens,  that  the  few, 
failing  to  get  their,  man,  and  disappointed  in  regard  to 
their  own  purposes,  raise  a  cry  in  opposition  to  the  regular 
appointee  from  conference,  get  a  few  others  to  join  with 
them,  drive  off  the  minister,  and  then  make '  scape-goats 
of  the  people  to  carry  their  sins  away,  saying  the  people 
would  not  receive  him.  It  is  a  mistake.  The  people 
know  their  own  wants  and  preferences,  but  are  generally 
well  satisfied  with  our  system  of  supplying  them,  untram- 
meled  by  committees ;  and,  if  left  to  their  own  course,  the 
people  would  give  little  or  no  trouble  on  the  subject. 
Moreover,  I  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  people 
are  very  tired,  in  many  places,  of  having  their  pastors 
nominated  by  committees,  whether  self-appointed,  or  ap- 
pointed by  a  minority  to  act  for  the  majority.  It  is  an 
innovation  on  Methodist  rules  and  regulations,  one  that 
originated  in,  and  tends  to  selfishness,  and  in  its  effects 
decidedly  hurtful  to  the  common  cause  of  Methodism. 
So  I  believe,  and,  therefore,  have  written. 


ESSAYS.  107 


CHRISTIAN    PHILANTHROPY. 

How  cold-hearted  is  the  charity  of  the  world  compared 
with  that  of  the  Gospel!  He  that  confers  a  favor  with 
the  expectation  of  its  being  returned,  or  loves  his  friend 
because  he  is  amiable  and  obliging,  only  acts  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  ancient  publicans,  who  were  viewed  as  being 
among  the  greatest  of  sinners.  Hence,  Christ  said  to  his 
disciples,  "If  ye  love  them  which  love  you,  what  reward 
have  you?  do  not  even  the  publicans  so?"  Yes,  verily, 
and  so  do  the  most  irreligious  of  the  present  day.  If  we 
love  a  friend  and  hate  an  enemy,  we  come  up  to  the 
standard  of  morals  erected  by  the  wisdom  of  the  world, 
but  afford  demonstrative  proof  that  we  are  not  true  disci- 
ples of  Jesus  Christ.  He  said,  "Ye  have  heard  that  it 
hath  been  said,  thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  and  hate 
thine  enemy:  but  I  say  unto  you,  love  your  enemies, 
bless  them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you, 
and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you,  and  perse- 
cute you."  This  precept  of  the  Savior  shames  all  the 
boasted  but  meager  systems  of  morality  invented  by  man, 
and  forms  as  great  a  contrast  with  the  wisdom  of  the 
world,  as  noon  does  with  night.  It  is  worthy  of  its 
divine  Author,  "who  loved  us,  and  gave  himself  for  us," 
not  as  affectionate  children,  faithful  friends,  loyal  subjects, 
or  profitable  servants,  but  as  enemies,  as  rebels ;  for  "  God 
commendeth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that  while  we  were  yet 
sinners,  Christ  died  for  us." 

This  commandment  also  affords  one  of  the  best  rules 
by  which  to  prove  the  genuineness  of  our  claim  to  the 
Christian  character;  which  may  be  applied  thus:  Hast 
thou  an  enemy?  Then,  as  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  thou 
shouldst  love,  bless,  and  pray  for  him.     "But  he  is  a  bad 


108  MISCELLANY. 

man."  So  much  the  more  does  he  need  thy  sympathy 
and  prayers,  lest  a  soul  perish  for  whom  Jesus  died. 
"  But  he  has  done  me  wrong."  If  so,  thou  art  bound  to 
forgive  him,  so  soon  as  he  repents.  "But  I  can  not  for- 
give him ;  he  has  acted  so  cruelly  toward  me."  Then  thou 
canst  not  be  forgiven  of  thy  heavenly  Father ;  for  Christ 
said,  "If  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither  will 
your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses."  These  are  hard 
savings  to  an  unregenerate  mind;  but  to  an  individual 
whose  heart  is  full  of  love  to  God,  from  a  sense  of  pardon 
and  adoption,  they  are  not  grievous.  He  can  forgive,  as 
he  has  been  forgiven.  The  difference  between  the  natural 
and  the  renewed  man  is  this:  The  former  hates  his 
enemy,  and  seeks  his  injury ;  the  latter  loves  his  enemy, 
and  prays  for  him.  In  performing  this  duty,  he  promotes 
his  own  felicity.  Speaking  against  an  enemy  injures  him, 
and  inflames  the  worst  passions  of  our  hearts.  Praying 
for  him  may  do  him  good,  and  will  certainly  help  us,  by 
cultivating  kindness,  forbearance,  and  an  ardent  desire  for 
his  salvation,  with  which  our  own  happiness,  as  Christians, 
is  closely  identified.  Speaking  evil  of  men,  even  when 
we  confine  ourselves  to  the  truth,  is  wrong,  and  seldom 
fails  to  do  mischief;  but  praying  for  them  is  always  right, 
and  never  fails  to  do  good  either  to  them  or  to  us,  and 
generally  to  both. 

This  doctrine,  however,  does  not  require  us  to  approve 
the  conduct  of  bad  men,  which  would  place  virtue  and 
vice  on  a  level;  but  it  does  require  us  to  bear  with  them. 
While  God  bears  with  men,  why  should  not  we  ?  Should 
we  desire  to  take  the  rod  out  of  his  hand?  No:  "Ven- 
geance is  mine;  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord."  We  may 
hate  sin,  but  we  must  love  and  pray  for  the  sinner  still, 
not  forgetting  that  we  too  have  sinned,  and  that  Jesus 
"died  for  all."  The  Gospel  allows  us  to  esteem  some 
men  more  highly  than  others,  because  they  are  better, 


ESSAYS.  109 

and  to  select  these  for  our  associates  and  helpers  in  a  life 
of  piety;  but  not  to  hate  or  injure  any.  Though  God 
exercises  the  love  of  complacency  to  none  but  good  men, 
he  extends  his  love  of  pity  to  all.  In  this  we  should  imi- 
tate him.  Is  there  a  human  being,  however  vile,  wicked, 
or  degraded,  or  malicious  toward  me,  against  whom  I 
entertain  a  malignant  feeling,  or  to  whom  I  wish  any  evil? 
Then  all  is  not  right.  "He  that  saith  he  is  in  the  li^ht, 
and  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  darkness  even  until  now." 
Religion  is  love,  and  "love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  nei^h- 
bor,"  but  seeks  to  glorify  God  in  the  salvation  of  all  men, 
and  can  not  be  indifferent  to  the  wants  of  the  poor  or 
cries  of  the  distressed. 


VISITING  THE   SICK. 

This  is  one  of  the  plain  duties  of  practical  religion, 
which  no  Christian  can  entirely  dispense  with  and  remain 
guiltless,  unless  he  be  prevented  by  disability  in  himself. 
It  belongs  to  that  class  of  charitable  works  which  are 
inseparable  from  true  piety.  "Pure  religion,  and  unde- 
fined before  God  and  our  Father,  is  this" — or  it  discovers 
itself  in  this — "To  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their 
affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world." 
This  duty  is  also  classed  with  the  fruits  of  faith,  and  is 
one  of  the  evidences  by  which  the  genuineness  of  it  will 
be  determined  at  the  last  day,  when  the  Judge  shall  say, 
"Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world :  for  I 
was  .  .  .  sick,  and  ye  visited  me;"  or,  "Depart  from  me, 
ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
his  angels:  for  I  was  .  .  .  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye 
visited  me  not." 

10 


110  MISCELLANY. 

The  object  of  visiting  the  sick  is  to  afford  relief  to  the 
bodies,  and  administer  comfort  to  the  souls  of  the  afflicted. 
Keeping  these  points  in  view,  on  hearing  that  }Tour  neigh- 
bor is  ill,  go  immediately  and  inquire  if  he  needs  any- 
thing you  can  obtain  for  him,  or  any  service  you  can 
render.  And  recollect  your  business  is  not  to  pay  him 
a  compliment,  but  to  do  him  good.  Therefore,  decline 
no  necessary  service,  or  office  of  kindness,  calculated  to 
relieve  or  soothe  the  sufferer.  If  you  only  make  a  formal 
call,  without  affording  any  aid,  it  puts  the  family  to  the 
additional  trouble  of  waiting  on  you,  perhaps  to  the  neg- 
lect of  the  patient,  without  receiving  any  benefit;  and 
you  had  better  stay  away  altogether  than  to  make  such  a 
visit.  If  you  have  any  reason  to  believe  you  can  do  any 
kindness  to  the  sick,  go  and  make  the  effort ;  and  if  they 
need  nothing,  still  the  interest  you  manifest  will  be  grate- 
ful to  them ;  and  a  good  conscience  will  attend  you  on 
leaving  the  place,  especially  if  you  aim  to  improve  the 
occasion  to  their  spiritual  edification.  Do  you  object,  "I 
know  not  that  my  sick  neighbor  needs  me?"  Go  and 
ascertain  the  fact.  If  he  has  need,  attend  him;  if  not, 
you  will  feel  clear  of  the  sin  of  omission.  "But  the 
apostle  saith,  'Is  any  sick  among  you?  let  him  call  for 
the  elders  of  the  Church ;'  and  I  have  not  been  sent  for." 
That  respects  the  sick  man's  duty,  not  yours.  The  duty 
of  visiting  the  sick  is  positive,  and  not  on  condition  of 
being  sent  for ;  though  this  would  increase  the  obligation 
by  affording  evidence  that  your  service  is  necessary. 
"But  I  am  so  busy."  Would  this  excuse  from  your 
friend  be  satisfactory  to  yourself,  if  in  a  suffering  or 
dying  condition?  If  not,  dismiss  it  at  once.  "But  it 
is  a  cross  to  go."  Then  take  it  up,  and  expect  a  blessing 
to  follow. 

The  manner  of  performing  this  duty  is  important,  and 
calls   for  the   exercise  of   much    prudence   and   firmness. 


ESSAYS.  Ill 

Go  to  the  sick-room  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  in  all 
practicable  cases,  after  specially  asking  his  direction  and 
blessing  in  private.  When  there,  be  serious,  but  cheer- 
ful ;  kind,  but  not  loquacious ;  for  it  is  distressing  to  most 
patients,  distracting  to  some,  and  injurious  to  all  who  are 
very  feeble,  or  very  ill.  Encourage,  but  do  not  natter  or 
deceive;  be  earnest,  but  not  boisterous;  it  is  wholly  un- 
suitable for  the  chamber  of  affliction.  If  you  converse, 
read,  sing,  or  pray,  be  short,  and  to  the  point  in  hand; 
and  let  all  your  efforts  be  in  favor  of  directing  the  sufferer 
to  Christ,  as  a  strong-hold  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  to 
trust  in  Him  alone  for  all  he  needs  here,  or  expects  here- 
after. As  to  the  time  of  performing  this  duty:  go,  if 
possible,  when  you  are  most  needed,  and  when  there  is 
the  least  company.  Those  who  attend  the  sick  only  on 
the  Sabbath,  because  they  are  at  leisure,  and  have  on 
cheir  best  apparel,  act  an  ungenerous  part;  they  stand 
*tloof  when  needed,  and  then  throng  the  room  as  idle  vis- 
itors, doing  much  more  harm  than  good.  Too  much 
company  about  the  sick  is  far  worse  than  too  little. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  this  duty  belongs  exclu- 
sively to  ministers.  All  who  have  the  ability  to  relieve, 
serve,  or  comfort  the  afflicted,  should  engage  therein.  It 
is  true,  ministers  should  abound  therein  as  a  part  of  their 
jfficial  duty;  but  so  should  Church  members  as  one  of 
,heir  Christian  duties.  Females  are  eminently  qualified 
'or  this  duty.  Their  refined  sensibility,  gentleness  of 
nanner,  experience  in  nursing,  readiness  to  alleviate,  and 
:heir  untiring  attention  amidst  scenes  of  woe,  make  them 
the  most  valuable  vigils  of  the  sick-room.  Yet  their  serv- 
ices  do  not  supersede  those  of  our  own  sex.  Each  one 
must  render  an  account  to  God  for  himself  respecting  this 
duty.  And  that  we  may  do  it  with  joy,  we  should  go  to 
all  whom  we  have  any  hope  of  benefiting,  as  far  as  prac- 
ticable;    but  especially  to  the  poor,  for  they  need   our 


112  MISCELLANY. 

services  most.  Christ  has  left  them  among  us  as  his  rep- 
resentatives, and  any  kindness  bestowed  upon  the  pious, 
afflicted  poor,  will  be  acknowledged  by  him  as  though 
conferred  on  himself:  "Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto 
one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it 
unto  me."  What  stronger  inducement  could  be  offered ; 
what  greater  reward  could  be  given  for  the  performance 
of  any  duty,  than  such  a  sentence  from  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  ? 


CHEISTMAS. 

It  is  a  question  of  some  importance,  whether  the  ob- 
servance of  this  festive  day  does  more  good  or  harm,  and 
consequently  whether  or  not  it  should  be  perpetuated, 
under  the  sanction  of  Christian  example.  The  origin  of 
this  festival,  in  reference  to  time,  is  doubtful,  as  the  sacred 
Scriptures  are  silent  on  the  subject.  History,  according 
to  some  authors,  places  it  in  the  second,  but  according  to 
others,  in  the  third  century.  All  seem  to  be  agreed  that 
it  was  observed  before  the  days  of  Constantine.  That  it 
was  well  meant  by  those  who  first  brought  the  usage  into 
the  Church  of  celebrating  the  birth  of  Christ,  there  is  no 
good  reason  to  doubt;  but  it  might  now,  perhaps,  be 
placed  among  the  traditions  of  the  elders,  which,  in  their 
practical  tendency,  are  calculated  to  make  the  command- 
ments of  God  of  none  effect. 

It  is  true  that  Christmas,  considered  apart  from  the 
dissipation  now  associated  with  it,  is  calculated  to  call  up 
before  the  mind  truths  the  most  momentous,  and  mercies 
the  most  stupendous ;  and  it  might  be  rendered  profitable 
by  appropriate  religious  exercise  and  suitable  expressions 
of  gratitude  to  God,  and  love  to  each  other  as  the  subjects 


ESSAYS.  113 

of  his  grace ;  but  how  strangely  it  is  perverted  by  most 
people  to  purposes  of  sin  and  folly !  It  is  an  occasion  on 
which  very  many  take  even  unusual  liberties  for  self-indul- 
gence and  sinful  associations. 

Hence,  not  a  few,  who  at  other  times  appear  to  be 
rational,  sober,  discreet,  are  known,  during  this  festival,  to 
give  or  attend  Christmas  wine-parties,  Christmas  balls, 
Christmas  amusements,  games  at  cards,  Christmas  horse- 
races, or  shooting-matches,  where  all  spirits  are  sufficiently 
enlivened  by  the  presence  of  "King  Alcohol."  Boys  are 
induced  by  such  examples  to  assemble  for  sport  and  mis- 
chief, to  the  great  annoyance  of  civil  people;  and  while 
they  are  flourishing  about  with  their  crackers,  pistols,  and 
gunpowder  plots,  some  who,  at  least,  think  themselves 
men,  are  employed  alternately  in  gambling,  drunkenness, 
blasphemy,  vulgarity,  personal  insult,  and  "smiting  with 
the  fist  of  wickedness."  The  inconsistency  of  such  con- 
duct is  surpassed  only  by  that  of  the  apology  which  is 
rendered  for  it;  namely,  it  is  Christmas — the  anniversary 
of  the  advent  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world.  Indeed !  And  is  it  suitable  to  celebrate  such  an 
event  by  increased  wickedness  and  rebellion  in  all  their 
forms?  Awful  will  be  the  account  which  such  enemies 
of  Christ  must  render,  when  he  shall  appear  to  judge  the 
world. 

This  will  be  a  high  day  in  several  respects.  It  will  be 
variously  regarded  by  different  classes  of  society,  but  in 
all  cases  for  the  same  reason.  Those  whose  practices  lead 
to  opposite  extremes,  will  still  refer  to  the  same  circum- 
stance for  an  explanation  of  their  conduct.  Though  it 
is  not  Sabbath,  congregations  will  appear  in  temples  of 
worship,  ministers  will  preach  on  the  birth  of  Christ,  and 
Christians  will  sing  of  his  advent,  and  pray  for  the  exten- 
sion of  his  kingdom  on  earth,  because  it  is  Christmas. 
Friends  and  relations  will  pay  visits,  feast,  and  send 
10* 


114  MISCELLANY. 

portions — not  to  the  suffering  poor,  but — to  those  alike 
prosperous  with  themselves,  because  it  is  Christmas.  Old 
grandfathers  and  grandmothers  will  pass  round  the  snuff- 
box and  the  pipe,  and  talk  over  the  scenes  of  olden  times, 
because  it  is  Christmas.  Little  children  will  appear  abroad 
in  their  best  apparel,  oft  repeating  to  their  friends  the  ac- 
customed salute,  "A  Christmas  gift,"  to  secure  the  repast 
of  nuts,  fruits,  and  ginger-cakes,  because  it  is  Christmas. 
Students,  apprentices,  and  servants,  will  have  holiday,  and 
"lots  of  fun,"  because  it  is  Christmas.  Rude  boys  will 
fling  their  crackers  as  thick  as  lightning  bugs  on  a  sum- 
mer's evening,  and  with  many  mischievous  consequences; 
they  will  collect  in  large  groups,  swear  like  sailors,  scream 
like  drunken  savages,  and  fight  like  dogs,  because  it  is 
Christmas.  Young  people  will  have  their  tea-parties, 
dancing-parties,  and  much  foolish  hilarity,  because  it  is 
Christmas.  Many  statesmen  will  go  from  the  halls  of 
legislation  to  their  wine-parties,  and  engage  in  the  folly 
and  dissipation  of  high  life,  because  it  is  Christmas. 
"While  those  of  low  life,  in  imitation  of  their  pernicious 
customs — though  at  other  times  sober  men — will  drink, 
carouse,  quarrel,  and  fight,  because  it  is  Christmas.  Prod- 
igals, sportsmen,  drunkards,  gamblers,  pickpockets,  and 
libertines  of  all  sorts,  will  have  a  high  time  of  it,  because 
it  is  Christmas.  After  the  day  is  past,  the  truly  pious  will 
remember  with  pleasure  their  acts  of  devotion  and  works 
of  benevolence  performed  on  Christmas.  While  all  the 
workers  of  iniquity,  who  set  apart  this  day  to  the  service 
of  the  devil,  and  the  destruction  of  their  own  souls,  v>  ill 
wipe  their  mouths  and  say,  "It  was  no  harm,  because  it 
was  done  on  Christmas/"  But  if  they  die  without  repent- 
ance, God  will  "rain  snares,  fire,  and  brimstone,  and  a 
horrible  tempest:  this  shall  be  the  portion  of  their  cup," 
for  the  sins  which  they  have  committed  on  Christmas. 
Such  abuses  render  it  very  doubtful  with  some,  whether 


E  S  S  A  Y  S  .  115 

Christians  ought  to  encourage  the  perpetuation  of  a  fes- 
tive day,  instituted  only  by  human  wisdom  and  authority ; 
for  they  think  it  is  very  questionable  whether  it  does  not 
afford  more  facilities  to  the  enemies  than  to  the  friends  of 
Christ;  whether  it  does  not  contribute  more  to  the  works 
of  darkness  than  those  of  righteousness.  But  if  it  must 
be  observed,  at  least,  by  professors  of  religion,  let  it  be 
done  suitably.  While  the  children  of  the  world  are  col- 
lecting their  forces  to  extend  the  reign  of  darkness,  the 
children  of  God  should  record,  with  songs  of  gratitude, 
his  tender  mercies,  and  pray  for  the  universal  spread  of 
that  kingdom  which  is  not  of  this  world. 


NEW-YEAR. 

This  is  a  suitable  time  to  reflect  a  little  on  the  past,  the 
future,  and  the  present. 

The  past  year,  like  all  the  preceding  ones  of  our  lives, 
brought  us  a  variety  of  pleasant  and  unpleasant  things; 
but  upon  the  whole,  a  vast  amount  of  obligation  to  be 
thankful  and  obedient  to  our  heavenly  Father.  While 
foreign  lands  have  been  blighted  by  famine,  or  threatened 
with  blood  and  revolution,  ours  has  been  favored  with 
general  peace,  and  great  plenty;  and  while  the  night  of 
heathenism  still  covers  its  millions  of  our  race,  the  light 
of  Christianity  shines  on  us,  though  a  guilty  nation,  ac- 
companied with  the  blessings  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 
Such  are  our  national  blessings;  and  those  distributed 
among  us  and  our  families,  have  been  without  number. 
Amidst  scenes  of  affliction,  sorrow,  and  death,  our  lives 
and  health,  as  individuals,  have  been  preserved.  Many 
strangers,  some  acquaintances,  and  a  few  friends,  have 


116  MISCELLANY. 

fallen  around  each  of  us ;  but  we  still  live,  the  witnesses 
of  grace,  possessed  of  opportunities  to  do  good  and  receive 
good,  preparatory  to  our  final  reckoning.  All  these  bless- 
ings are  received  from  above,  and  flow  to  us  unworthy- 
creatures  through  the  mediation,  advocacy,  and  interces- 
sion of  our  Lord  Jesus  Chiist. 

The  future  is  covered  with  awful  uncertainty.  "Boast 
not  thyself  of  to-morrow ;  for  thou  knowest  not  what  a 
day  may  bring  forth."  Much  less  do  we  know  what  a 
year  will  disclose.  But  what  has  been,  will,  substantially, 
be  again;  and,  judging  of  the  future  from  the  past,  we 
may  safely  conclude  that  the  toils,  cares,  recreations, 
pleasures,  joys,  griefs,  gains,  losses,  revivals,  and  declen- 
sions of  this  will  be  very  similar  to  those  of  other  years ; 
but  the  subjects  of  them  will  be  continually  changing,  as 
fast  as  millions  of  births  and  deaths  are  recorded.  One 
serious  thought  is,  we  shall  not  all  live  to  witness  these 
things.  Nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  some  of  those 
we  know  will  die  before  next  year,  and  nothing  is  more 
uncertain  than  who  they  will  be.  The  writer  and  reader 
of  this  article  may  be  among  them ;  yea,  some  now  famil- 
iar with  these  pages,  doubtless,  will  be  numbered  with  the 
dead  this  year.  Let  each  one,  therefore,  inquire,  as  the 
disciples  of  Christ  did  in  another  case,  "Lord,  is  it  I? 
Lord,  is  it  I?"  that  must  go  so  soon?  It  may  be  thou  art 
the  man,  the  woman.  What,  then,  is  thy  prospect  beyond 
the  grave  ?  Suppose  the  summons  should  come  for  that 
young  man  who  is  pursuing  the  road  to  worldly  fame, 
reckless  of  the  future ;  or  that  young  lady  whose  heart  is 
alive  only  to  the  things  which  perish,  and  who  never  yet 
prayed  sincerely  to  God;  suppose  the  messenger  should 
come  for  the  middle-aged  man,  so  cumbered  with  much 
serving  that  God  is  not  in  all  his  thoughts ;  the  irreligious 
one  that  has  grown  gray  in  the  service  of  Satan ;  or  a 
cold-hearted,  backslidden  professor  of  religion ;  what  would 


ESSAYS.  117 

be  the  consequence?     Alas,  all  with   them  would  be  lost 
forever ! 

But  now  change  sides  a  moment,  and  suppose  those 
sent  for  to  be  the  children  of  the  Highest,  called  home 
to  their  "house,  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens;"  what  ground  of  objection  could  they  have  to 
such  a  speedy  release  from  earth  and  all  its  miseries,  such 
promotion  to  glory,  honor,  and  eternal  life !  Is  he  that 
has  next  to  go  a  young  convert?  his  early  removal  from 
the  ranks  of  Zion  will  excuse  him  from  the  dangers  and 
crosses  of  a  long  campaign.  Is  he  an  old  pilgrim,  who 
has  passed  through  fiery  trials,  and  borne  the  burden  and 
heat  of  the  day  ?  how  welcome  his  deliverance  !  Has  he 
a  family  to  leave  ?  he  can  safely  trust  them  in  His  hands 
who  says,  "Leave  thy  fatherless  children,  I  will  preserve 
them  alive ;  and  let  thy  widows  trust  in  me."  But  is  he 
a  minister — for  among  so  many  of  us  bearing  this  title, 
some  will  doubtless  have  to  give  an  account  of  their  stew- 
ardship this  year?  to  him  it  can  be  no  misfortune,  as  an 
individual,  if  found  faithful ;  and  as  it  regards  those  he  is 
related  to,  they  can  do  very  well  without  him.  The  Lord 
can  provide  for  our  families  by  means  unknown  to  us. 
The  world  would  scarcely  observe  the  vacuum  in  society 
caused  by  the  death  of  a  few  ministers  of  this  age.  And 
the  Church  will  prosper  without  us  after  we  are  dead,  as 
she  did  before  we  were  called  to  her  altars.  Let  none 
suppose  that  God  is  dependent  on  the  best  among  us  to 
forward  his  work,  or  that  wisdom  will  die  with  us  of  this 
generation.  When,  where,  or  by  what  means  we  die,  is 
of  little  consequence ;  all  that  is  important  to  us  in  this 
matter,  is  a  thorough  preparation  to  meet  it.  This  implies 
that  God  is  now  reconciled  to  us  in  Christ,  and  we  to  him ; 
that  we  now  love  God  supremely,  and  all  men,  for  his 
sake ;  that  we  live,  yet  not  we,  but  Christ  liveth  in  us,  the 
hope  of  glory,  and  that  the  life  we  now  live  is  of  the  faith 


118  MISCELLANY. 

of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  us,  and  gave  himself  for 
us.     This  is  our  privilege,  and  we  need  no  more. 

To  attend  to  this  preparation,  the  present  time  is  all  we 
have.  The  past  will  not  return  ;  to-morrow  we  may  never 
see;  the  present  alone  is  certain  to  us.  "Behold,  now  is 
the  accepted  time :  behold,  now  is  the  day  of  salvation." 
What  we  do  must  be  done  quickly.  Yea,  now  or  never. 
The  night  of  death  cometh,  and  is  near,  when  no  man 
can  work.  What  are  we  now  doing  to  please  God,  pro- 
mote his  cause  on  earth,  obtain  our  own  sanctification,  and 
prepare  to  live  forever?  Let  conscience  answer,  truly 
and  understandingly. 


WATCH  MEETINGS. 
Bishop  Asbury  once  said  to  the  preachers  in  conference, 
"When  the  ordinary  means  fail,  use  the  extraordinary." 
(A  good  rule  if  always  found  in  prudent  hands.)  Among 
these  unusual  means  might  be  numbered  our  meetings  on 
watch-nights,  which  are  seldom  held  except  on  New- 
Year's  eve.  A  well-conducted  meeting  of  this  sort  com- 
mences at  eight  or  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  con- 
tinues till  midnight.  The  exercises  consist  of  preaching, 
exhortation,  prayer,  and  praise,  and  usually  ends  with  a 
renewal  of  the  Christian's  covenant  to  strive  for  "a  closer 
walk  with  God ;"  which,  after  being  distinctly  stated  and 
proposed  by  one  of  the  ministers  present,  is  generally 
entered  into  with  great  solemnity  by  spending  five  minutes 
in  silent  prayer.  Nothing  appears  more  solemn  than  to 
see  a  whole  assembly  kneeling  in  silent  prayer  at  mid- 
night, confessing  the  sins  of  the  past  year,  returning 
thanks  to  God  for  the  blessings  of  life  and  grace  perpetu- 
ated to  them,  and  en^aoino;  with  the  Lord,  each  for  him- 


o    o 


EBB  AYS.  110 

self,  to  be  for  Him  the  ensuing  year,  whether  called  to 
live  and  labor,  or  die  and  go  to  eternity. 

It  is  certainly  a  feast  worth  more  than  a  few  hours  rest, 
to  unite  with  the  assembly  of  the  saints,  pleading  with 
God  for  themselves  and  their  friends,  while  others  are 
asleep  or  at  their  revels.  Very  seldom  do  such  worship- 
ers fail  to  receive  great  blessings.  Often  revivals  of  relig- 
ion are  commenced  at  those  meetings.  Many  in  heaven 
will  have  cause  of  rejoicing  that  God  ever  put  into  the 
heart  of  Wesley  to  institute  them  in  his  societies. 

If  it  be  objected,  that  "such  meetings  are  singular, 
and,  therefore,  improper,"  we  answer,  all  true  religion, 
when  tried  by  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  is  singular. 
God's  people  are  "a  peculiar  people;"  they  are  different 
from  others.  And  they  who  shun  duty  for  fear  of  being 
thought  singular,  can  never  be  decidedly  pious.  It  was 
singular  for  Jacob  to  wrestle  with  the  angel  all  night;  for 
the  brethren  and  sisters  to  hold  a  special  prayer  meeting 
at  a  late  hour  for  Peter's  deliverance  from  prison  at  the 
house  of  Mary;  for  Paul  to  "continue  his  speech  all 
night,"  and  for  the  Savior  to  go  into  a  mountain  and  con- 
tinue "a  whole  night  in  prayer  to  God;"  but  they  all 
obtained  satisfactory  answers.  In  company  with  the 
prophets,  Christ,  and  his  apostles,  let  me  be  singular  too, 
and  enjoy  singular  blessings. 


CURIOSITY. 

That  inquisitive  disposition,  or  propensity  for  novel 
things,  called  curiosity,  holds  a  prominent  place  in  the 
heart  of  man.  If  the  love  of  novelty  be  restrained  within 
proper  bounds,  it  may  contribute  to  improvement,  by  the 
cultivation  of  useful  knowledge;  but  if  it  be  unrestrained, 


120  MISCELLANY. 

and  encouraged  by  gratification,  its  tendency  is  to  mis- 
chief; leading  its  votaries  to  interfere  with  the  private 
business  of  families,  or  individuals,  while  they  neglect 
their  own.  It  often  decoys  them  on  to  dangerous  ground, 
that  they  may  discover  something  new  under  the  sun. 
Many  a  heedless  youth  could  be  made  a  strong  witness  in 
this  case. 

The  indulgence  of  vain  curiosity,  also,  tends  to  idleness  ; 
and  is,  therefore,  ruinous  to  our  business,  property,  mor- 
als, and  peace  of  mind.  Were  this  principle  cultivated 
in  childhood  and  encouraged  in  manhood,  habitually,  it 
would  end  in  the  abandonment  of  every  useful  employ- 
ment, and  reduce  us  to  the  degraded  condition  of  the 
Athenians  in  the  days  of  St.  Paul,  as  described,  Acts 
xvii,  21  :  They  "spent  their  time  in  nothing  else,  but 
either  to  tell  or  to  hear  some  new  thing."  The  conse- 
quence was,  they  degenerated  into  such  ignorance  and 
superstition,  that  they  erected  an  altar  to  an  "unknown 
god,  whom  they  ignorantly  worshiped." 

That  the  love  of  novelty  already  exerts  too  much  influ- 
ence on  the  American  family  for  their  good,  there  can  be 
no  doubt,  from  facts  well  authenticated.  A  Shaker  at- 
tracts more  attention  than  a  consistent,  devoted  Christian ; 
because  he  has  more  claim  to  novelty  and  less  to  piety. 
Joe  Smith  and  Fanny  Wright  are  successful  proselyters ; 
because  one  attracts  notice  by  an  unknown  tongue,  and 
the  other  deals  in  impudence  as  a  female  declaimer,  in 
court-houses  and  theaters.  It  is  owing  to  the  same  rage 
for  novelties,  that  more  people  can  be  collected  at  a  high 
pontifical  Latin  mass,  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  a 
deceased  right  reverend  Roman  dignitary,  than  usually 
assemble  to  worship  God  in  the  spirit. 

But  the  evil  is  not  peculiar  to  characters  and  transac- 
tions professedly  religious.  A  philosopher  conceives  a 
notion  that  the  earth  is  concave,  and  immediately  embarks 


ESSAYS.  121 

on  search  of  a  creep-hole  at  the  poles,  that  he  may  enter 
and  explore  the  interior;  but  after  exhausting  his  fortune, 
time,  and  mental  energies,  dies  in  despair  of  accomplish- 
ing the  object. 

Now,  if  such  things  happen  among  the  learned,  what 
may  be  expected  of  the  vulgar?  "There  was  no  mistake 
in  Sam  Patch,"  he  said;  and  an  idle,  dissipated  crowd  of 
followers  confirmed  his  vanity,  as  they  witnessed  his  fear- 
ful leaps,  which  they  hired  him  to  make ;  but  the  next  sad 
leap  he  landed  in  eternity.  Recently  an  overgrown  Ken- 
tuckian  had  his  picture  posted  up  with  an  advertisement 
to  exhibit  himself  in  sundry  museums,  east  and  west,  and, 
in  one  instance,  received  more  than  twenty  thousand  visit- 
ors. Had  his  soul  been  large,  in  proportion  to  his  body — 
which  weighed  five  hundred  and  twenty-six  pounds — he 
would  have  found  better  employment ;  and  if  the  people 
had  possessed  more  sound  discretion,  and  less  curiosity, 
they  would  have  kept  their  cash,  or  applied  it  to  some 
better  purpose  than  paying  to  see  his  corporality. 

Our  love  of  novelty  is  becoming  notorious  among  for- 
eign nations,  it  would  seem,  from  recent  circumstances; 
and  they  are  profiting  by  their  knowledge  of  our  weak- 
ness. This  may  account  for  some  singular  importations 
and  extra  arrivals,  announced  from  time  to  time.  Those 
children  of  misfortune,  the  Siam  twins,  should  never  have 
left  the  precincts  of  their  mother's  residence ;  but  the 
love  of  gold,  the  root  of  all  evil,  caused  their  habitual 
exposure  among  strangers.  Shame  on  those  who  made 
gain  of  their  natural  deformity  !  But  even  female  delicacy 
vanishes  before  the  love  of  revenue  arising  from  the  grati- 
fication of  vain  curiosity.  A  young  lady,  whose  artificial 
deformity  is  a  humiliating  monument  of  the  caprice  of 
fashion  and  a  nation's  folly,  has  been  imported  from 
China,  is  now  exhibiting  herself  in  New  York,  and  thou- 
sands run  on  a  fool's  errand  to  see  her  crippled  feet. 

11 


ll;2  MISCELLANY. 

It  is  time  for  every  man  of  influence,  especially  Chris- 
tians, ministers  and  editors,  to  set  their  faces,  like  flint, 
against  every  idle  foolery,  intended  to  collect  large  crowds 
of  people,  and  feast  their  eyes  with  empty  display,  with- 
out any  prospect  of  mental  or  moral  improvement.  And 
though  I  have  not  the  vanity  to  suppose  that  I  can 
turn  the  tide  of  popular  feeling  any  more  than  I  could 
arrest  the  torrent  rushing  over  the  cataract,  yet  I  can 
and  will  keep  out  of  the  current — and  advise  others  to  do 
the  same — by  recording  my  vote  in  opposition  to  everv 
species  of  dissipation,  and  thus  throwing  the  responsibility 
where  it  belongs.  I  speak  as  unto  wise  men :  judge  ye 
what  I  say. 
Jaxlahy,  1S35. 


THE  AGE  OF  IMPROVEMENT. 

(WRITTEN    IN   1835.) 

The  spirit  of  improvement  is  good  if  well  directed.  To 
make  it  prolitable,  it  must  be  brought  to  bear  on  proper 
objects,  and  regulated  by  sound  principles.  When  rules 
of  human  action  are  just,  well  developed,  and  firmly 
established,  they  may  be  safely  carried  out  and  applied  to 
an  increased  variety  of  purposes,  but  should  not  be  aban- 
doned through  rage  for  improvement;  for  this  would  be 
giving  up  the  benefit  of  all  the  labor,  research,  and  expe- 
rience of  past  ages,  and  throwing  ourselves  back  entirely 
on  our  own  resources.  Among  other  rules  of  this  sort, 
the  following  should  be  kept  in  view:  1.  No  discovery  is 
valuable  which  can  not  be  applied  successfully  to  some 
good,  practical  purpose.  2.  No  important  object  can  be 
accomplished  by  human  agency  without  care  and  exertion. 
The  first  rule  sets  aside  aerial  voyages,  phrenology,  conju- 
ration, the  circus,  and  all  that  sort  of  things,  which  are  of 
no  important  use  tc  society,  and  seriously  injure   many 


ESSAYS.  123 

people.  They  engender  idle  curiosity,  and  lead  to  the 
neglect  of  business  and  solid  improvement.  The  second 
rule  sweeps  aside  all  those  modern  new-fangled  schemes 
for  improvement  without  study  and  labor.  When  we 
hear  of  boats  to  navigate  the  air  without  oars,  sail,  or 
machinery;  of  stoves  that  cook  without  fuel;  corn  that 
grows  without  culture;  doctors  that  can  cure  without 
medicine;  instructors  that  teach  the  sciences  without 
requiring  the  learner  to  study;  blacking  which  shines  on 
our  boots  without  applying  the  brush;  religious  reformers 
who  convert  people  by  the  agency  of  water,  or  what  is 
still  more  convenient,  put  people  in  the  way  to  "born 
themselves  again,"  by  an  act  of  volition;  the  application 
of  the  second  rule  may  be  of  some  service  in  forming  a 
judgment  in  the  case. 

There  appears  to  be,  more  or  less,  in  almost  every  class 
of  society,  a  sort  of  feverish  excitement,  urging  them  on 
to  the  accomplishment  of  something  which  is  generally 
not  well  defined  by  its  projectors,  nor  understood  by  their 
adherents,  and,  consequently,  of  doubtful  utility  in  its 
practical  results.  The  general  idea  is  improvement,  and 
there  is  a  great  uproar  on  the  subject ;  but  the  greater  part 
jf  the  multitude  seem  not  to  know  wherefore  they  are 
come  together;  for  some  cry  one  thing  and  some  another, 
making  much  confusion  and  really  accomplishing  but 
little.  It  is  true,  this  is  a  fruitful  age,  emphatically  an 
age  of  invention,  both  as  it  regards  new  projects,  and  the 
means  of  accomplishing  old  ones.  Before  one  scheme  of 
improvement  is  fully  tested,  or  even  half  matured,  it  is 
superseded  in  whole,  or  in  part,  by  another,  proposed  by 
a  different  individual.  The  usual  mode  selected  by  the 
several  reformers,  or  advocates  of  modern  improvement, 
for  introducing  their  favorite  schemes,  is  to  trumpet  them 
with  such  unblushing  confidence,  as  to  keep  the  world 
gaping  and  running  to  find  out  some  method  of  becoming 


124  MISCELLANY. 

wise  without  study,  wealthy  without  industry  and  econ- 
omy, honorable  without  justly  asserting  any  sufficient 
claims  to  reputation,  and  to  be  happy  without  the  trouble 
of  being  pious  or  virtuous.  In  this  state  of  morbid  excite- 
ment, and  so  far  as  the  votaries  of  novelty  are  concerned, 
he  who  makes  the  largest  pretensions  to  the  discoveries 
of  facilities  for  improvement,  and  gives  the  least  proof  of 
it  by  actual  usefulness,  seems  to  acquire  the  greatest 
applause. 

That  there  have  been  some  valuable  discoveries  made 
in  modern  times,  respecting  the  mechanical  arts,  hus- 
bandry, the  means  of  conveyance  by  land  and  water,  etc., 
calculated  to  save  labor,  and  facilitate  business,  is  not 
denied;  and  possibly  this  circumstance  has  contributed 
to  the  desire  of  some  to  ascertain  a  plan  for  mental  im- 
provement without  much  mental  exertion.  They  may 
reason  thus :  As  the  wants  of  the  body  are  supplied  by 
means  of  various  machinery,  at  a  great  reduction  of  time, 
labor,  and  expense,  why  not  those  of  the  soul  by  certain 
improvements  within  our  power?  But  if  the  latter  object 
has  been  realized  to  any  considerable  extent,  the  judicious 
part  of  society  do  not  appear  to  be  apprised  of  it.  It  is 
true,  some  things  are  taught  now  in  a  shorter  time  than 
formerly,  but  it  is  believed  that  the  knowledge  obtained 
under  the  new  modes  is  usually  more  superficial ;  and  if 
there  is  a  more  general  thirst  for  knowledge  among  the 
people,  it  is  feared  that,  in  a  large  number  of  cases,  it 
is  not  the  knowledge  which  will  render  us  more  holy  on 
earth  or  happy  in  heaven,  but  which  puffeth  up.  We  will 
here  give  a  few  specimens  of  modern  improvement  to  sus- 
tain the  positions  we  have  taken. 

The  art  of  penmanship  used  to  be  considered  not  only 
ornamental,  but  highly  useful  in  the  practical  business  of 
life.  Young  men,  after  leaving  school  or  college,  would, 
in  some  cases,  employ  a  part  of  their  time  for  years,  as 


ESSAYS.  125 

clerks  in  public  offices,  to  acquire  the  habit  of  writing  a 
'air,  elegant,  and  rapid  hand,  as  though  this  was  a  matter 
uf  some  importance.  But  what  folly  to  spend  so  much 
time  to  learn  what  is  now  professedly  taught  in  ten  short 
lessons  of  two  hours  each;  and  what  imbecility  to  be 
making  plain  letters,  when  zigzag  lines,  hieroglyphics,  and 
fanciful  dashes,  are — with  a  few  honorable  exceptions — all 
the  learned  care  to  make!  What  is  a  printer  good  for 
who  can  not  guess  at  words,  especially  in  the  pure  classic 
style,  embellished  with  Latin  quotations?  Who  that  has 
the  reputation  of  a  distinguished  scholar,  troubles  himself 
about  the  mechanical  process  of  making  his  thoughts  leg- 
ible on  paper  ? 

The  science  of  English  grammar  in  the  days  of  Murray 
filled  a  respectable  volume ;  and  a  young  man  of  ordinary 
mind,  who  mastered  it  in  six  months,  connected  with  a 
few  other  branches,  did  well.  But  now  it  is  by  some 
reduced  to  a  mere  table,  printed  on  a  single  sheet,  and 
taught  by  twelve  short  lectures,  in  the  same  number  of 
evenings.  Is  not  this  a  vast  improvement?  And  what 
appears  to  be  a  more  important  discovery  is,  that,  in  the 
present  polished  state  of  society,  grammar  is  no  longer 
strictly  necessary  except  for  the  vulgar  and  mere  novices 
in  science.  What  distinguished  statesman,  doctor  of  law, 
or  president  of  a  theological  college,  pays  any  particular 
attention  to  syntax,  either  in  speaking  or  writing?  Such 
cases  are  believed  to  be  comparatively  few.  Indeed,  to 
do  this  would  afford  evidence  that  they  had  attended  to 
little  things,  and,  consequently,  that  they  are  not  the  great 
men  the  world  takes  them  to  be.  What!  a  literary  char- 
acter speak  and  write  grammatically?  Away  with  such 
school-boy  trifles  in  this  age  of  improvement. 

In  the  style  of  composition  and  book-making,  the  im- 
provement is  wonderful.     The  time  was  when  such  writers 
as  the  plain  John  Bunyan,  the  pious  Baxter,  the  amiable 
11* 


126  MISCELLAN  T. 

Bishop  Watson,  and  the  conscientious  John  Wesley — who 
said  he  did  not  dare  to  write  in  a  line  style — passed  prettr 
well  even  among  men  of  reading;  but  who,  of  all  the 
zealous  advocates  of  modern  improvement,  cares  for  their 
simple,  easy,  graphic  style  ?  When  books  were  compara- 
tively scarce,  the  old-fashioned  works  of  English  reformers 
were  read  and  could  be  sold ;  but  who  will  buy  and  read 
them  now,  when  the  world  is  full  of  novels,  plays,  annu- 
als, and  other  works  adapted  to  the  present  refined  state 
of  society  ?  They  may  be  esteemed  by  some  old-fashioned 
Christians,  who  still  read  their  Bibles,  and  adhere  to  the 
principles  of  piety,  truth,  and  common  sense ;  but  with 
the  advocates  for  new-fashioned  improvement,  these  prin- 
ciples appear  to  be  out  of  fashion,  and  generally  laid  aside 
to  make  room  for  their  heroes  in  the  world  of  fiction. 

Oratory  has  of  course  been  remanufactured  and  ren- 
dered conformable  to  the  refined  taste  of  the  people,  in  this 
age  of  wonders.  In  the  rude  state  of  society,  at  the  com- 
mencement of  this  century,  public  speakers,  to  succeed 
well,  had  to  seek  out  the  truth  according  to  the  standards 
of  their  profession ;  arm  themselves  with  facts  and  sound 
argument,  and  address  them  to  the  understanding  and  the 
heart.  This  was  somewhat  troublesome.  It  cost  the 
orator  some  research  and  preparation,  and  the  people 
were  put  to  the  trouble  of  thinking  and  feeling  under  the 
discourse.  But  since  the  world  has  felt  the  polishing 
hand  of  recent  fashionable  improvement,  facts  and  logic 
are  dull  things,  and  none  but  ordinary  speakers,  who  have 
no  popularity  to  lose,  can  safely  deal  in  them.  The  im- 
agination of  our  novel-reading  community  is  rendered  so 
prominent  by  the  light  of  fiction,  that  if  they  have  any 
judgment  and  conscience  left,  they  are  thrown  quite  in 
the  background;  and  to  gain  the  reputation  of  a  popular 
orator,  you  must  aim  higher  than  the  heart.  The  fancy 
must  be  addressed  by  a  tremendous  display  of  uncommon 


essays.  12T 

words  and  phrases,  imagery,  compound  figures,  and 
double  superlatives.  And  as  the  object  is  neither  to  con- 
vince nor  persuade,  but  merely  to  gratify  the  taste  of  the 
hearers,  and  keep  up  the  credit  of  the  orator,  the  less  he 
deals  in  simple  truth,  the  less  he  understands  himself  or 
is  understood  by  the  people,  the  better ;  for  this  will  con- 
firm them  in  the  belief  that  he  is  a  very  great  man,  too 
much  so  to  be  comprehended;  and  they  will,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  reward  him  liberally  with  unqualified  praise. 

It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  examples  to  show  the 
character  of  some  boasted  improvements  of  this  age,  in 
support  of  our  positions,  but  these  are  sufficient.  I 
might  also  have  treated  the  subject  more  gravely,  had  I 
thought  it  suitable.  And,  lest  some  should  think  me  cen- 
surable for  adopting  a  different  style,  I  will  just  add  two 
reasons  in  self-justification.  1.  I  doubt  whether  the  spec- 
imens of  modern  improvement  above  named  are  proper 
subjects  of  grave  discussion.  2.  I  am  persuaded  that  the 
votaries  of  such  improvement  are  too  far  advanced  in  the 
regions  of  fancy  to  be  reached  by  sober,  rational  argu- 
ments, if  I  were  capable  of  wielding  them. 


INFLUENCE  OF  FASHION. 
Those  who  object  to  the  restraints  of  a  religious  life, 
would  do  well  to  consider  whether  they  are  not  in  general 
the  vassals  of  a  system  far  less  tolerable  to  an  enlightened 
mind ;  namely,  that  of  fashionable  life.  Much  is  said  of 
late  about  negro  slavery — of  which  I  am  no  advocate — 
but  who  is  a  greater  slave  than  the  dupe  of  fashion? 
Has  he  any  judgment,  any  will  of  his  own?  It  appears 
not.  Fashion  dictates  to  him  in  all  things,  as  rigidly  as 
the    master   does   to   his  servant.     More   particularly,  it 


12S  MISCELLANY. 

prescribes  his  manner  of  life,  dress,  and  intercourse  witt 
society.  The  real  wants  and  comforts  of  life  are  compar- 
atively few,  simple,  and  cheap ;  those  regulated  by  fash- 
ion are  numerous,  complex,  and  costly.  It  renders  a  bill 
of  articles  for  housekeeping,  without  regard  to  means  and 
prospects;  ordering  judgment  and  conscience  to  stand 
aside,  it  prescribes  the  form  of  the  table,  figure  of  the 
mantle-piece,  finish  of  the  sideboard,  and  color  of  the  car- 
pet, while  convenience,  utility,  and  economy,  all  have  to 
bow  implicitly  to  its  rules.  When  a  suit  of  clothes  is  to 
be  purchased,  no  authority  is  consulted,  by  many,  but 
fashion;  without  regard  to  price  or  quality,  it  dictates  th6 
color  of  the  cloth  and  cut  of  the  garment.  This  drudgery 
becomes  the  more  troublesome  on  account  of  continual 
changes  invented  by  idle  spendthrifts,  who  study  nothing- 
else  but  how  to  keep  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  fashionables, 
while  others  strive  to  follow  hard  after  them.  What  is 
considered  the  very  "tip  of  the  mode,"  when  the  suit  is 
made,  may  become  obsolete  before  it  is  half  worn;  the 
consequence  is,  it  must  be  laid  aside,  lest  the  owner  be 
thought  unfashionable. 

Fashion  regulates,  by  severe  rules,  the  intercourse  of 
its  subjects  with  society,  regardless  of  convenience  or 
pleasure.  If  you  have  occasion  to  call  on  them,  however 
important  your  business,  or  limited  your  time,  it  is  only 
by  a  very  tedious  process  that  you  can  obtain  an  inter- 
view. The  success,  however,  will  depend  much  on  ob- 
serving the  proper  hours  to  suit  the  etiquette  of  high  life. 
The  fashionables  usually  start  out  to  make  their  morning 
calls  about  half  after  twelve  to  one  o'clock,  P.  M.  From 
that  till  about  half  past  two,  they  make  and  receive  short 
visits,  dodging  in  and  out  among  their  acquaintance,  with 
the  ordinary  salutation,  "  Good  morning."  About  three 
they  return,  and  by  four  are  ready  to  commence  dinner, 
which,   with    all   its  ceremonies,   they  finish   some   time 


ESSAYS.  120 

toward  night,  with  much  loquacity  and  fine  glee,  which  is 

not  at  all  lessened  by  the  quantity  of  tea  and  wine  con- 
sumed. From  eight  to  nine  o'clock — the  time  prudent 
people  prepare  for  rest — they  go  out  to  "spend  the  even- 
ing." Supper  may  be  expected  to  commence  as  early  as 
eleven  and  end  before  one,  so  that  they  can  be  at  home 
and  in  bed  by  two,  or  three  at  the  farthest.  People  who 
keep  such  timely  hours  may  be  expected  to  rise  next 
morning  by  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  which  will  be  in  time  for 
what  they  esteem  early  breakfast;  for  which,  however, 
they  will  have  but  little  relish  after  the  surfeit  of  the 
night  and  the  nap  of  the  morning.  Such  are  the  charac- 
ters who  are  most  addicted  to  complaints  against  the  re- 
straints of  religion ;  they  object  to  its  duties  and  crosses, 
the  simplicity  of  its  ordinances,  and  the  general  serious- 
ness of  character  it  imposes.  They  are  not  willing  to  be 
bound  by  her  silken  cords  of  love,  though  they  seem  too 
well  content  to  wear  the  galling  chains  of  bondage  im- 
posed by  a  life  of  fashion,  which  is  a  life  of  sin  and  folly, 
and,  consequently,  of  misery,  without  any  hope  of  a  bet- 
ter state  hereafter. 

If  such  folly  as  above  described  was  confined  to  a  few 
that  have  much  wealth,  and  who  promise  no  other  good 
to  society  than  that  of  putting  it  into  circulation  by  fool- 
ishly squandering  it,  the  subject  would  be  less  afflictive; 
but  the  evil  is  contagious.  Those  whose  circumstances 
are  limited  and  even  embarrassing,  are  too  often  tempted 
to  imitate  the  manners  of  the  rich  and  fashionable;  for 
such  is  the  pride  of  man's  heart,  that  even  poor  people 
are  mortified  if  thought  to  be  out  of  fashion.  But  before 
we  yield  to  this  temptation,  let  us  pause  and  consider  if 
this  is  the  true  road  either  to  usefulness  or  felicity.  Of 
what  use  to  the  world  are  any  of  the  blind  devotees  of 
fashion  ?  Who  of  them  are  distinguished  as  philanthro- 
pists, patriots,  scholars,  statesmen,  or  professional  men? 


loU  MISCELLANY. 

Do  men  of  dress,  fashion,  and  pleasure,  ever  excel  in  any 
of  these  useful  departments  of  society  ?  We  believe  not. 
What  fashionable  lady,  properly  so  called,  is  remarkable 
for  relieving  the  sick,  instructing-  the  ignorant,  educating 
the  orphan,  or  encouraging,  by  her  property  and  example, 
any  humane  efforts  to  better  the  condition  of  her  suffering 
fellow-creatures  ?  Alas !  it  is  doubtful  whether  she  either 
knows  or  cares  any  thing  about  the  sufferings  of  the  un- 
fortunate, or  the  means  of  their  relief.  Why,  then,  such 
a  proneness  among  us  to  imitate  characters  so  unprofita- 
ble ?  Yet  this  exists  to  so  great  an  extent  that  not  a  few 
families  and  individuals  are  ruined  in  their  temporal  cir- 
cumstances, sometimes  in  their  characters,  and  often  in 
their  enjoyments,  by  its  influence.  The  vanity  of  the  rich 
is  no  excuse  for  the  vices  of  the  poor;  but  the  bondage 
of  the  former  to  the  rules,  or,  rather,  caprice  of  fashion, 
should  reconcile  the  latter  to  their  more  humble  condition. 
There  is  another  fact  which  adds  to  the  mischief  and 
mortification  occasioned  by  the  operation  of  this  principle. 
Fashion  extends  its  slavish  dominion,  to  a  great  extent, 
over  the  borders  of  Zion.  Many  professed  disciples  of 
the  meek  Savior,  are,  in  fact,  only  fashionable  gentlemen 
and  ladies,  aiming  to  keep  friends  with  both  parties — the 
Church  and  the  world — but  enjoying  the  confidence  of 
neither.  To  be  a  humble  Christian  requires  true  cour- 
age. He  that  possesses  independence  and  virtue  enough 
to  be  governed  by  his  own  judgment  and  conscience,  in 
accordance  with  the  Gospel,  is  charged  with  being  singu- 
lar; and  though  God  calls  all  his  children  to  be  "a  pecu- 
liar people,"  but  few  have  the  courage  to  obey.  What  a 
condescension  it  is  for  the  children  of  the  Most  High  to 
be  under  bondage  to  the  elements  of  the  world !  How 
much  more  honorable  and  happy  are  they,  who,  like  Paul, 
can  say,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified 


ESSAYS.  181 

unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world!?'  My  object  is  not  to 
recommend  singularity  for  its  own  sake,  but  to  encourage 
professors  of  religion  to  do  right,  regardless  of  fashion 
and  the  reproach  of  being  accounted  singular.  This  is 
not  only  possible,  but  grace  can  make  it  easy  and  delight- 
ful. There  are  some  worthy  examples  and  living  com- 
ments on  this  doctrine,  both  among  the  rich  and  poor. 

Some  of  the  former  have  been  enabled,  "through  Christ 
strengthening  them,"  to  dismiss  all  their  affected  airs, 
vain  and  worldly-minded  associates,  fashionable  parties, 
and  other  fooleries,  and  become  sober-minded,  happy 
Christians,  devoting  their  time,  talents,  property,  and 
influence,  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  On  the  other  hand, 
some  in  the  humbler  walks  of  life  have  been  effectually 
cured  of  a  desire  to  be  thought  fashionable,  and  are  well 
reconciled  to  their  lot,  having  Christ  for  their  portion, 
and  viewing  heaven  as  their  final  home.  May  the  Lord 
increase  the  number  of  truly-pious  souls  among  all  classes 
of  people ! 


LOQUACITY. 

Loquacity,  which,  according  to  Walker,  means  "too 
much  talk,"  is  a  fault  as  disagreeable  as  it  is  common. 
It  is  not  restricted  to  either  sex.  The  reader  must  not 
suppose  that  I  judge  women  to  be  more  faulty  in  this 
respect  than  men.  In  either  it  is  unlovely,  and  when 
indulged  to  excess,  becomes  reprehensible  in  the  estima- 
tion of  all  judicious  people. 

Loquacity  is  objectionable,  because  it  savors  of  vanity. 
It  indicates  that  the  speaker  wishes  to  bring  himself  into 
notice  by  a  display  of  words;  and,  consequently,  that  he 
presumes  much  upon  his  own  intelligence,  and  upon  the 


132  MISCELLANY. 

ignorance  of  others,  as  if  they  knew  nothing  till  he  en- 
lightened them.  The  talkative  individual  seems,  also,  to 
take  it  for  granted,  that  his  neighbors  have  leisure  and 
patience  to  be  lectured  by  the  hour,  on  any  subject  which 
fancy,  inclination,  or  accident  may  lead  him  to  introduce. 
This  is  a  great  mistake  in  most  cases.  Such  a  character 
would  do  well  to  study  the  import  of  Solomon's  maxim, 
"A  fool's  voice  is  known  by  multitude  of  words." 

Again :  loquacity  is  troublesome.  It  breaks  in  on  the 
regular  calling  of  all  who  have  the  misfortune  to  be 
assailed  by  it.  Few  things  are  more  annoying  to  a  man 
of  business  or  a  man  of  study,  than  to  be  frequently 
interrupted  by  the  idle  and  loquacious.  It  embarrasses 
him  in  his  necessary  avocation,  and,  of  course,  chafes  his 
feelings;  and,  unless  he  possesses  uncommon  forbearance, 
lays  him  under  temptation  to  rudeness  of  manner.  There 
are  individuals  in  every  extensive  community  who  seem  to 
have  no  employment  but  to  talk.  They  are  generally 
very  willing  souls  to  give  direction  concerning  the  business 
of  others,  while  they  neglect  their  own ;  for,  as  Solomon 
said,  "every  fool  will  be  meddling."  But  they  are  as 
poor  counselors  as  they  are  unpleasant  companions.  Let 
it  not  be  supposed  that  talkative  characters  are  peculiar  to 
this  age  or  country.  Paul  said,  '-'There  are  many  unruly 
and  vain  talkers,  and  deceivers,  especially  they  of  the  cir- 
cumcision, .  .  .  whose  mouths  must  be  stopped;"  and  he 
instructed  Titus  to  "rebuke  them  sharply." 

It  is  frequently  observed,  that  they  who  talk  most  do  it 
to  least  purpose.  Public  speakers,  of  a  loquacious  dispo- 
sition, are  generally  diffusive ;  they  often  lack  point,  and 
obscure  their  arguments  by  a  superabundance  of  words. 
If  they  be  members  of  deliberative  bodies,  they  are  apt 
to  become  troublesome,  lose  their  iniluence,  and,  some- 
times, secure  to  themselves  an  unenviable  notoriety.  Such 
orators   might  profit  by   the  advice   of    St.  James,  "Let 


ESSAYS.  133 

every  man  be  swift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow  to 
wrath." 

A  loquacious  disposition  leads  to  many  indiscretions,  of 
which  some  examples  may  here  be  furnished.  It  influen- 
ces confidentials  to  divulge  secrets,  betray  confidence,  and 
produce  open  ruptures  between  neighbors.  It  leads  fami- 
lies to  discuss  their  private  business  in  the  presence  of 
strangers,  which  is  improper.  It  betrays  many  individu- 
als into  the  very  impertinent  and  annoying  practice  of 
catechising  civil  travelers  as  to  their  residence,  destination, 
name,  and  business.  This  is  an  extremely  rude  practice. 
Loquacity  interrupts  the  harmony  of  conversation ;  for  a 
talkative  individual  will  often  break  in  upon  another  while 
speaking,  which  is  embarrassing  and  uncourteous.  It 
makes  people  appear  self-important  and  unteachable.  For 
example,  when  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  calls  on  a  talk- 
ative family,  instead  of  being  heard  as  their  religious 
teacher,  he  is  compelled  to  keep  silence,  and  listen  to  their 
desultory  harangues,  perhaps  all  speaking  at  once,  till  his 
time  and  patience  are  exhausted,  or  retire  abruptly.  To 
visit  such  a  family,  except  for  the  purpose  of  teaching 
them  better  manners,  is  a  waste  of  time. 

In  some  instances,  loquacity  is  an  infirmity  of  old  age, 
and  in  others,  of  partial  insanity,  and  in  all  such  cases 
should  be  endured  with  patience.  But  in  young  and  sane 
persons  it  is  usually  a  defect  of  education,  or  of  natural 
judgment,  or  both  together.  It  leads  some  very  young 
persons,  like  saucy  children,  to  monopolize  the  time  in 
conversation,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  aged  and  experi- 
enced. This  is  very  indiscreet.  Few  things  are  more 
disgusting  than  the  frivolous  conversation  of  young  peo- 
ple to  each  other  in  the  presence  of  seniors.  Well-edu- 
cated and  sensible  young  people,  of  both  sexes,  always 
pay  respect  to  strangers  and  seniors,  however  inferior 
their  accomplishments  may  be  ;  but  the  ignorant  and  fcalk- 

12 


134  MISCELLANY. 

ative  respect  no  one,  and,  of  course,  no  person  respects 
them.  They  are  radically  defective  in  sound  under- 
standing, and  in  civility,  and,  therefore,  introduce  their 
uncalled-for  questions  and  topics,  without  regard  to  cir- 
cumstances. 

A  few  individuals  of  loquacious  habits,  are  sufficient  to 
cause  general  confusion  in  a  large  social  company;  be- 
cause no  one  of  them  is  willing  to  be  a  hearer — they  all 
speak  at  once,  which  produces  sound  without  sense,  very 
much  resembling  the  gabble  of  a  large  flock  of  geese. 
Hence  it  is  that  social  parties  seldom  afford  any  in- 
structive or  profitable  conversation  on  subjects  of  general 
interest. 

I  have  not  the  vanity  to  suppose  that  this  short  essay 
on  loquacity  will  reform  any  confirmed  talker ;  but  it  may 
possibly  be  the  means  of  preventing  some  individuals  from 
becoming  such ;  and  with  that  result  I  should  not  only  be* 
content,  but  feel  amply  rewarded  for  the  labor  of  writing. 
It  is  admitted  that  there  is  an  opposite  extreme  to 
loquacity;  that  is,  taciturnity,  or  habitual  silence.  This 
is  also  a  fault  to  be  guarded  against.  Very  diffident  and 
reserved  persons  are  most  liable  to  fall  into  this  error. 
Often,  when  a  few  words  might  be  spoken  to  the  edifica- 
tion of  some  individual,  or  company,  they  keep  silence, 
from  timidity,  or  disinclination  to  talk,  and  thereby  lose 
an  opportunity  of  doing  good.  Man  is  a  social  being.  It 
is  wisdom  in  all  to  cultivate  social  habits  and  feelings ; 
and  one  of  the  best  means  of  doing  so,  is  a  familiar, 
friendly  conversation.  When  we  engage  in  social  con- 
verse, it  should  be  to  instruct,  impress,  amuse,  or  gain 
information  ;  and  as  some  one  of  these  objects  may  be 
effected  with  any  civil  companion,  there  is  no  necessity  of 
confining  our  conversation  to  a  few  select  friends.  Ex- 
treme taciturnity  is  not  profitable  or  commendable.  Still, 
I  am  of  the  opinion,  that  to  say  too  little  is  a  less  fault 


ESSAYS.  135 

than  to  say  too  much,  and,  indeed,  that  it  is  better  to  say- 
nothing  than  to  speak  unadvisedly. 

There  is,  between  the  two  extremes  of  loquacity  and 
taciturnity,  a  happy  medium ;  that  of  speaking  on  a  suit- 
able subject,  at  the  right  time,  and  in  a  proper  manner,  so 
as  to  accomplish  some  good  purpose.  If  all  would  en- 
deavor to  speak  thus,  much  idle  and  unprofitable  talk 
would  be  dispensed  with.  Fine  colloquial  powers  are 
among  the  choicest  accomplishments  of  human  life.  If 
properly  employed,  they  may  be  rendered  exceedingly 
entertaining  and  instructive.  They  afford  their  possessor 
ready  and  easy  access  to  society,  and  great  facilities  in 
accomplishing  any  object  for  which  he  is  dependent  on 
the  co-operation  of  others;  provided,  always,  that  they 
be  not  used  too  freely.  To  be  able  to  say  enough  on  all 
occasions,  without  saying  too  much,  is  a  rare  attainment. 
It  is  the  perfection  of  human  converse,  which  every  indi- 
vidual should  aim  to  approximate  as  far  as  practicable. 


THE  TONGUE. 
The  term,  tongue,  is  used  not  only  to  signify  the  organ 
of  speech,  but  likewise  good  or  evil  conversation.  The 
tongue  is  designed  to  render  social  intercourse  convenient 
and  agreeable,  to  communicate  intelligence  from  man  to 
man,  and  to  celebrate  the  praise  of  God ;  but  it  is  too  fre- 
quently employed  for  evil  purposes.  It  is  a  good  or  evil 
member,  according  to  the  use  or  abuse  made  of  it.  Who 
has  not  been  entertained  with  the  soft,  broken  accents  of 
the  babe,  in  his  first  efforts  to  imitate  language,  or  profited 
by  the  conversation  of  an  intelligent  friend,  or  moved  to 
pity  by  the  plaintive  cries  of  distress,  or  fired  by  the 
tongue  of  the  orator,  or  charmed  by  the  rich  melody  of 


136  MISCELLANY. 

song?  And  who  has  not  been  pained  by  the  tongue  of 
slander,  shocked  with  the  demoralizing  tones  of  bias- 
phemy,  or  disgusted  with  the  insolence  of  self-conceited 
ignorance  ?  Each  individual  is  responsible  for  the  use  he 
makes  of  his  own  tongue,  and  should,  therefore,  learn  to 
speak  discreetly.  Every  word  spoken  contributes  to  the 
weal  or  woe  of  its  author,  if  not  to  that  of  others.  How 
solemn  are  the  words  of  Christ,  "But  I  say  unto  you, 
That  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall 
give  account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment.  For  by  thy 
words  thou  shalt  be  justified,  and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt 
be  condemned!"  This  awful  truth  needs  no  comment. 
Conscience  approves,  and  warns  us  to  prepare  for  its  ful- 
fillment. What,  then,  will  be  the  final  doom  of  thought- 
less millions,  who  deal  only  in  "the  filthy  conversation  of 
the  wicked !"  Nay,  what  will  become  of  thousands  of  the 
professed  followers  of  the  lowly  Savior !  Many  who,  in 
other  respects,  appear  to  be  pious,  are  given  to  "evil- 
speaking;"  that  is,  relating  the  faults  of  absent  persons, 
which  is  as  plainly  forbidden  as  any  other  sin.  While 
James  says,  "Speak  not  evil  of  one  another,  brethren," 
Paul  requires  Titus  to  "put  them  in  mind"  of  what  he 
had  previously  taught  the  brethren;  namely,  "To  speak 
evil  of  no  man,  to  be  no  brawlers,  but  gentle,  showing  all 
meekness  unto  all  men,"  whether  friends  or  foes.  To 
expose  the  faults  of  one  who  is  not  present  to  answer  for 
himself,  betrays  a  want  of  moral  courage,  and  is  called, 
by  the  inspired  writers,  "backbiting;"  and  he  who  perpe- 
trates it,  is  designated  a  "backbiter,"  because  he  acts 
like  a  dog  that  creeps  after  and  seizes  you  unawares. 
When  evil-speaking  is  carried  on  confidentially,  in  a  low, 
soft  tone,  it  is  called  "whispering;"  and  when  the  evil 
report  is  received  and  carried  on  to  another,  it  is  called 
"tale-bearing."  But  whatever  form  it  assumes,  it  is  con- 
demned as  sinful.     Evil-speaking  is  productive  of  discord 


ESSAYS.  137 

and  strife.  It  hardens  the  heart  of  the  speaker,  prejudices 
the  mind  of  the  hearer,  and  injures  the  victim  of  it,  with 
all  concerned.  It  alienates  friends,  and  frequently  ends 
in  Church  trials,  lawsuits,  or  acts  of  violence.  Well  might 
an  inspired  apostle  say,  "Behold,  how  great  a  matter  a 
little  tire  kindleth !  And  the  tongue  is  a  fire,  a  world  of 
iniquity ;  .  .  .  and  setteth  on  fire  the  course  of  nature ; 
and  is  set  on  fire  of  hell."  The  same  apostle  testifies, 
"If  any  man  among  you  seem  to  be  religious,  and  bridleth 
not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth  his  own  heart,  this  man's 
religion  is  vain."  Yes,  such  a  man's  religion  is  worthless, 
however  long  his  face,  or  loud  his  pi-ofession.  The  only 
hope  for  him,  and  all  other  evil-speakers,  is  in  sincere 
repentance  for  the  past,  and  full  confidence  in  the  blood 
of  Christ,  which  alone  can  wash  out  the  deep  stains  of 
their  guilt.  Also,  they  would  do  well,  for  the  future,  to 
adopt  the  resolution  of  David:  "I  said,  I  will  take  heed 
to  my  ways,  that  I  sin  not  with  my  tongue :  I  will  keep 
my  mouth  with  a  bridle,  while  the  wicked  is  before  me." 
Most  people  are  pleased  with  the  idea  of  a  long  and  pros- 
perous life.  The  means  of  securing  it  is  clearly  pointed' 
out  in  the  following  beautiful  words  of  the  Psalmist: 
''What  man  is  he  that  desireth  life,  and  loveth  many 
days,  that  he  may  see  good  ?  Keep  thy  tongue  from  evil, 
and  thy  lips  from  speaking  guile.  Depart  from  evil,  and 
do  good ;  seek  peace,  and  pursue  it." 


DANCING. 

The  reader  of  this  article  will  scarcely  suspect  me  of 

being  influenced  by  the  love   of  popularity,  in   selecting 

this  topic.     I  am  fully  persuaded,  however,  that  the  sig'is 

of  the  times  suggest  it  as  an  appropriate  one;  and  I  have 

12* 


138  MISCELLANY. 

as  much  right  to  claim  the  blessing  of  persecution  for 
introducing  it  as  any  other  person. 

Various  opinions  appear  to  prevail  respecting  the  prac- 
tice of  dancing.  Some  profess  to  regard  it  as  a  useful 
exercise,  for  the  promotion  of  health.  Whether  any  reg- 
ular-bred physician,  of  good  reputation,  ever  gives  this 
prescription,  is  doubtful.  Perhaps  the  process  by  which 
operatives  in  the  business  arrive  at  this  conclusion  has 
more  to  do  with  the  heart,  "which  is  deceitful  above  all 
things,"  than  with  enlightened  reason.  No  intelligent 
individual,  whose  single  aim  is  to  promote  health,  it  is 
presumed,  would  ever  think  of  accomplishing  that  object 
by  spending  his  or  her  nights  amidst  the  revelry  of  a 
ball-room,  in  preference  to  quiet  slumber  at  home.  That 
exercise,  taken  in  moderation,  is  good  for  health,  is  readily 
admitted;  but  it  can  be  always  had  in  a  much  more 
rational  and  profitable  manner  than  dancing. 

There  are  others  who  seem  to  view  dancing,  if  not  as  a 
necessary  recreation,  at  least  as  an  innocent  amusement. 
But  how  can  any  amusement  be  innocent  which  consumes 
a  large  amount  of  time,  attention,  and  means,  without 
imparting  any  good  whatever?  No  one  will  seriously 
contend  that  dancing  confers  any  useful  knowledge,  any 
love  of  mental  improvement,  any  means  of  support,  any 
lasting  pleasure,  or  any  weight  of  character  in  respectable 
society:  on  the  contrary,  it  tends  to  idleness,  frivolity, 
prodigality,  the  neglect  of  domestic  duties,  and  lowers  its 
devotee  in  the  estimation  of  all  serious  and  sensible  people. 

The  inquiry  is  occasionally  heard,  is  it  not  advisable  to 
teach  young  people  the  art  of  dancing,  in  order  to  give 
them  a  graceful  carriage  ?  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  any 
affected  carriage  is  either  graceful  or  becoming.  It  may 
pamper  the  pride  of  the  young  heart,  and  call  forth  the 
empty  applause  of  deceitful  admirers;  but  the  natural 
o-ait  and  appearance  of  any  individual  will  always  be  pre- 


ESSAYS.  139 

ferred  by  the  judicious  of  every  community.  The  good 
opinion  of  those  whose  admiration  of  a  lady  could  be 
excited  by  seeing  her  leaping  and  stepping  to  the  sound 
of  a  violin,  is  of  no  real  value.  What  sensible  young 
man  would  choose  a  companion  for  life,  who  was  cele- 
brated only  for  the  dissipating  amusements  of  the  merry 
dance  ?  He  would  very  naturally  conclude,  that  those 
who  are  good  for  dancing,  are  seldom  good  for  any  thing 
else.  But  if  the  art  of  waltzing,  with  its  kindred  fool- 
eries, be  unworthy  the  attention  of  an  intelligent  lady,  it 
is  certainly  more  contemptible  in  the  view  of  any  sensible 
man. 

Of  what  real  use  to  mankind  is  a  French  dancing-mas- 
ter? What  respectable  man  or  woman  in  America  envies 
him  on  account  of  all  the  influence  he  acquires  in  society, 
by  teaching  little  misses  to  walk  on  tiptoe,  and  caper  about 
like  imitative  monkeys?  The  children,  of  course,  are  not 
to  be  blamed ;  but  what  estimate  will  be  placed  upon  the 
judgment  of  the  parents,  who  commit  the  responsible  duty 
of  forming  the  principles  and  manners  of  their  juvenile 
daughters  to  such  a  fashionable  trifler,  newly  imported 
from  a  country  famous  for  its  libertinism  ?  The  tendency 
of  all  dancing  schools  among  us,  is  to  rear  up  a  generation 
of  dancing  Americans,  and  even  to  impart  the  spirit  of  the 
thing  to  those  who  can  not  practically  participate  therein ; 
so  that  when  any  foreigner  of  doubtful  morals  comes  along, 
dancing  for  pay,  they  can  readily  get  clear  of  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  dollars,  without  receiving  any,  the  least, 
benefit  in  lieu  thereof. 

The  most  inconsistent  of  all  people,  however,  on  the 
subject  of  dancing,  are  those  professors  of  religion  who 
show  it  any  countenance.  A  member  of  any  Church  who 
attends  masquerades,  or  balls,  or  allows  his  children  to 
attend  them,  or  sends  his  children  to  cotillon  parties,  or 
dancing  schools,  publicly  contradicts  his  own  profession  of 


110  MISCELLANY, 

religion,  and  thereby  notifies  all  men,  that  he  has  only  a 
name  to  live,  while  he  is  spiritually  dead.  "Ye  can  not 
serve  God  and  mammon."  Praying  and  dancing  never 
can  be  carried  on  to  advantage  at  once,  led  by  the  same 
individual ;  nor  can  parents  ever  succeed  in  giving  their 
children  a  religious  education,  who  teach  or  have  them 
taught  to  dance,  any  more  than  they  could  teach  them  to 
practice  the  principles  of  temperance,  while  giving  them 
bitters  in  the  morning,  grog  at  noon,  and  wine  in  the 
evening.  The  idea  of  dedicating  children  to  the  service 
of  God,  with  an  expressed  or  implied  pledge  to  tr^in  them 
up  to  a  life  of  piety,  and  then  sending  them  to  a  dancing 
school,  is  too  absurd  to  be  entertained  for  one  moment. 

I  know  that  many  professors  of  religion  entertain  the 
opinion  that,  though  it  is  wrong  to  dance  in  public,  it  is 
proper  to  dance  in  private ;  and  ask,  how  can  young  peo- 
ple enjoy  this  harmless  recreation  at  home,  or  at  a  friend's 
house,  unless  they  learn  it  at  school,  in  their  childhood? 
This  notion  is  as  dangerous  as  it  is  absurd.  Children 
who  are  taught  to  dance  at  school,  and  encouraged  to 
practice  with  their  young  companions  at  home,  or  at  a 
friend's  house,  will  have  strong  temptations  to  go  to  the 
public  assemblies,  and  show  with  what  skill  they  can 
"trip  the  light,  fantastic  toe."  If  your  son  be  taught  to 
play  cards  at  home,  first  for  amusement,  then  for  apples, 
then  in  the  social  party  for  half- dimes,  to  keep  up  the 
interest,  and  then  for  something  to  drink,  you  may  next 
expect  to  find  him  among  blacklegs,  staking  his  money, 
reputation,  and  happiness,  at  once,  on  the  uncertain  game 
of  hazard.  Vice  is  progressive,  and  in  no  cases  more  so 
than  in  drinking,  gambling,  and  dancing. 

All  the  truly  pious,  of  every  Church,  regard  dancing  to 
be  foolish  in  itself,  and  sinful  in  its  tendency.  The  time 
and  money  wasted  in  preparations — the  needless  orna- 
ments and  costly  decorations  supposed  to  be  requisite  for 


ESSAYS.  141 

appearing  at  the  "splendid  ball" — the  chaffy  conversa- 
tion indulged  in  about  beaux,  belles,  and  parties,  and  the 
public  performance  itself,  are  all  foolish  in  the  extreme, 
and  unbecoming  rational  beings ;  but  how  much  more 
unsuitable  do  they  appear,  when  those  rational  beings  are 
viewed  as  candidates  for  an  eternal  state  of  retribution! 
God  has  often  rebuked  such  folly  in  a  signal  manner,  by 
the  sudden  affliction  and  death  of  some  one  of  the  party. 
In  all  such  cases,  the  ball  is  at  an  end;  but  if  dancing, 
with  its  appurtenances,  be  right  in  the  sight  of  Heaven, 
why  not  dance  on  amidst  affliction  and  death?  The  devo- 
tion of  religious  people  is  not  checked,  but  rather  increased 
by  those  solemn  dispensations.  The  fact  is,  their  own 
conscience  reproves  the  votaries  of  the  ball-room.  They 
not  only  feel  that  all  its  professed  pleasure  is  hollow- 
hearted  and  unsatisfying,  but  that  the  whole  affair  is  one 
of  sin  and  condemnation ;  and  when  the  shafts  of  death 
begin  to  fall  around  them,  they  have  not  the  courage  to 
proceed,  but  acknowledge  with  some  of  old,  "The  joy  of 
our  heart  is  ceased:  our  dance  is  turned  into  mourning." 
What  young  lady  would  feel  prepared  to  exchange  the 
habiliments  of  the  ball-room  for  a  shroud?  What  young 
gentleman  would  be  willing  to  be  summoned  from  that 
scene  of  folly  and  rebellion  to  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ? 
And  how  inconsistent  it  is  to  indulge  in  that  course  of 
conduct  for  which  we  know  we  must  repent  sorely,  or  be 
undone  forever! 

The  appeal  which  some  make  to  the  Bible,  in  justifica- 
tion of  this  fashionable  vice,  is  unfortunate  for  their  cause. 
What  was  seriously  performed,  as  a  religious  act  of  praise 
to  God,  though  under  a  dispensation  of  comparative  dark- 
ness, affords  no  excuse  for  those  who  dance  for  worldly 
amusement.  David  danced  before  the  Lord,  in  a  religious 
procession  after  the  ark,  thus  performing  his  part  of  a 
religious  ceremony,  which  would  be  a  questionable  mode 


142  MISCELLANY. 

of  public  worship  under  the  Gospel  dispensation.  When 
our  modern  pleasure-takers  dance  in  the  fear  of  God,  and 
in  the  conscious  enjoyment  of  his  love,  as  David  did,  we 
will  let  them  pass. 

There  are  other  cases,  quite  different  from  this,  on 
sacred  record.  Some  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness 
forsook  the  God  that  made  them,  and  had  miraculously 
delivered  them,  and  danced  round  a  golden  calf,  the  work 
of  their  own  hands,  for  which  their  names  were  blotted 
out  of  the  book  of  life.  In  this  matter  they  acted  about 
as  wisely  as  do  those  of  our  day,  who  dance  round  the 
imaginary  idol  of  worldly  pleasure.  Another  case  is 
recorded  for  our  admonition  in  the  New  Testament.  King 
Herod's  birthday  was  celebrated  with  feasting  and  danc- 
ing. At  the  time  referred  to,  his  "august  majesty"  was 
living  with  his  sister-in-law,  Herodias,  in  an  unlawful 
manner,  for  which  John  the  Baptist  had  reproved  them 
sharply.  She  had  a  daughter  by  her  lawful  husband, 
Miss  Salome,  who  figured  largely  at  the  ball;  for  she 
danced  before  the  king,  and  pleased  him  well,  so  that  he 
rashly  bound  himself  with  an  oath,  in  presence  of  wit- 
nesses, to  give  her  whatsoever  she  would  ask,  to  the  half 
of  his  kingdom.  Instructed  by  her  infamous  and  revenge- 
ful mother,  she  said,  "Give  me,  by  and  by,  in  a  charger, 
[or  dish,]  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist,"  which  was  done. 
This  cruel  and  outrageous  murder  of  a  faithful  minister 
of  God  was  one  of  the  fruits  of  dancing,  and  its  kindred 
vices.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  American  patriots  may 
never  disgrace  the  memory  of  Washington,  by  celebrating 
his  birthday  in  a  similar  manner. 

Dancing,  like  other  sinful  amusements,  has  had  its  ebbs 
and  flows  of  popularity;  has  been  sometimes  in  more,  and 
then  in  less  repute  among  us.  It  is  a  barbarian  practice. 
There  is  much  more  dancing  in  heathen  nations  than 
in   Christian   nations.      The  lower  people    are  degraded 


ESSAYS.  143 

by  ignorance  and  sin,  the  more  they  are  devoted  to  this 
sort  of  dissipation.  It  flourishes  most  in  this  country 
when  religion  prospers  least,  and  then  declines  again  as 
vital  piety  prevails.  The  extraordinary  revivals  in  the 
United  States,  some  years  ago,  nearly  drove  dancing  out 
of  the  country ;  but  during  the  religious  declension  of  the 
past  few  years,  it  has  again  reappeared  more  generally. 
This  is  easily  accounted  for:  the  more  people  pray,  the 
less  they  feel  like  dancing;  and  the  more  they  dance,  the 
less  they  pray,  or  love  praying.  It  was  said  by  Solomon, 
"The  heart  of  the  wise  is  in  the  house  of  mourning;  but 
the  heart  of  fools  is  in  the  house  of  mirth." 

I  will  close  this  article  with  an  extract  from  Mr.  Wes- 
ley's sermon  on  The  More  Excellent  Way:  "I  can  not 
say  quite  so  much  for  balls  or  assemblies,  which,  though 
more  reputable  than  masquerades,  yet  must  be  allowed, 
by  all  impartial  persons,  to  have  exactly  the  same  tend- 
ency. So,  undoubtedly,  have  all  public  dancings.  And 
the  same  tendency  they  must  have,  unless  the  same  cau- 
tion obtain  among  modern  Christians  which  was  observed 
among  ancient  heathens.  With  them,  men  and  women 
never  danced  together;  but  always  in  separate  rooms. 
This  was  always  observed  in  ancient  Greece,  and  for  sev- 
eral ages  at  Rome,  where  a  woman  dancing  in  company 
with  men,  would  have  at  once  been  set  down  for  a ." 


OBJECTIONS  TO  PROFANE  SWEARING. 
It  is  ungrammatical.  Murray  says,  "The  first  rule 
for  promoting  the  strength  of  a  sentence,  is,  to  prune  it 
of  all  redundant  words  and  members.  It  is  a  general 
maxim,  that  any  words  which  do  not  add  some  importance 
to  the  meaning  of  a  sentence,  always  injure  it."     Now, 


144  MISCELLANY. 

profane  words  never  add  importance  to  the  meaning  of  a 
sentence,  but  are  always  redundant,  and  therefore  ungram- 
matical.  No  profane  swearer  is  a  good  practical  gram- 
marian. This  abuse  of  language  is  found,  mostly,  among 
the  ignorant  and  illiterate  part  of  the  community. 

It  is  uncivil.  A  civil  or  polite  man  never  wantonly 
insults  any  company  into  which  he  may  be  incidentally 
thrown,  however  he  may  differ  from  them  in  opinion  on 
religious  subjects,  or  respecting  his  general  manner  of  life  ; 
but  the  profane  man  outrages  the  feelings  of  every  serious, 
orderly  company  in  which  he  appears.  This  is  insuffer- 
able. Children  who  have  been  kindly  and  genteelly 
brought  up,  are  sorely  grieved  to  hear  their  parents  slan- 
dered and  abused,  or  even  lightly  spoken  of;  but  not  more 
so  than  Christians  are,  to  hear  the  name  of  their  heavenly 
Father  profaned,  or  blasphemed.  This  is  known  to  all 
intelligent  men :  hence,  he  who  swears  profanely,  is  not 
only  no  gentleman ;  he  is  a  ruffian,  unfit  for  civil  society, 
and  should  be  expelled  from  it,  if  he  can  not  be  reformed. 

It  is  immoral.  Legislation  on  the  subject  has  so  de- 
fined it,  making  it  a  penal  offense,  which  subjects  the 
offender  to  a  fine  in  all  cases ;  and  public  sentiment  is  in 
favor  of  this  law,  and  would  sustain  magistrates  in  the 
enforcement  thereof,  otherwise  it  would  not  continue  a 
part  of  our  civil  code  in  a  free,  elective  government. 
Moreover,  the  offender's  own  conscience  confirms  this 
truth,  unless  it  be  "seared  as  with  a  hot  iron."  How 
awful  he  feels,  when  he  thinks  of  facing  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth,  whom  he  habitually  insults,  by  a  language  more 
like  the  dialect  of  devils,  than  that  of  a  rational  man ! 

It  is  impious.  A  profane  use  of  the  name  of  God  is 
characteristic  of  extreme  wickedness,  and  is  expressly  for- 
bidden by  the  divine  law,  under  penalty  of  endless  death. 
The  folic  wing  are  a  few  of  the  many  prohibitions  and 
threats  in  the  case  :   "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 


ESSAYS.  145 

Lord  thy  God  in  vain:  for  the  Lord  will  not  bold  him 
guiltless  that  taketh  his  name  in  vain."  "Swear  not, 
neither  by  heaven,  neither  by  earth,  neither  by  any  other 
oath."  " Because  of  swearing  the  land  mourneth."  "By 
swearing,  and  lying,  and  killing,  and  stealing,  and  com- 
mitting adultery,  they  break  out,  and  blood  toucheth 
blood."  "Every  one  that  sweareth  shall  be  cut  off." 
"But  he  that  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
never  forgiveness,  but  is  in  danger  of  eternal  damnation." 
These  denunciations  of  the  divine  law  are  too  awful  for 
comment;  let  those  who  violate,  read  them,  and  tremble. 

From  this  rapid  view  of  the  whole  subject,  I  think  the 
following  inferences  are  legitimate:  Profane  swearing  is 
unprofitable ;  it  adds  nothing  to  a  man's  fortune,  reputa- 
tion, or  personal  happiness ;  it  does  not  secure  for  him  the 
good  opinion  of  others,  nor  a  belief  in  the  truth  of  his 
declarations,  but  the  contrary ;  for  it  is  generally  admitted, 
that  "he  who  will  swear,  will  lie;"  this  is  obvious  from 
his  daily  practice,  because  the  less  truth  there  is  in  his 
words,  and  the  more  they  are  disputed,  the  harder  he 
swears  to  confirm  the  belief  of  them. 

It  is  a  heinous  offense  against  society,  being  a  palpable 
and  inexcusable  violation  of  the  laws  of  God  and  man ; 
those  who  indulge  in  it  are  abominably  wicked,  and  should 
receive  no  countenance  from  decent  society,  till  they  leave 
it  off  entirely. 

Magistrates  should  so  execute  the  duties  of  their  office, 
as  to  be  a  terror  to  all  such  evil-doers.  They  are  bound 
not  only  by  their  honorable  and  responsible  relation  to 
society,  but  also  by  the  oath  of  office,  to  enforce  the  law 
for  the  suppression  of  vice,  and  can  not,  consistently  with 
that  oath,  suffer  men  to  swear  with  impunity  under  their 
jurisdiction,  from  any  consideration  of  fear  or  favor.  He 
who  does  so,  betrays  his  trust,  and  is  not  worthy  of  the 
place  he  fills. 

13 


146  MISCELLANY. 

Lastly:  all  good  men  should  co-operate  with  civil  offi- 
cers to  put  down  this  desolating  vice.  Ministers  should 
preach  pointedly  against  it;  private  Christians  should 
reprove  it ;  and  all  parents  should  positively  prohibit  and 
prevent  it  among  their  children,  teaching  them  the  fearful 
consequence  of  such  evil ;  and  to  this  end,  keep  them  from 
all  swearing  company,  for  "evil  communications  corrupt 
good  manners." 


FALSEHOODS. 
The  propensity  of  our  fallen  nature  to  falsehood,  or  to 
utter  what  is  known  not  to  be  true  in  fact,  for  deception, 
is  not  new.  When  David's  mind  was  much  affected, 
not  only  with  sore  trouble,  from  which  no  human  power 
could  deliver  him,  but  with  an  awful  sense  of  man's  uni- 
versal depravity,  "he  said  in  his  haste,  all  men  are  liars.'* 
The  sin  of  falsehood  was  prominent  in  the  days  of  Christ 
and  his  apostles,  as  appears  from  their  frequent  and  public 
reproofs  of  it.  Indeed  it  appears  to  be  one  characteristic 
of  our  native  depravity.  Of  the  wicked,  David  says, 
"They  go  astray  as  soon  as  they  be  born,  speaking  lies." 
If  this  vice  were  to  prevail  universally,  as  it  now  does 
with  some,  all  the  confidence  that  men  now  have  in  each 
other  would  be  lost :  every  useful  organization  in  society, 
whether  civil,  religious,  social,  or  benevolent,  would  be 
prostrated ;  the  world  would  become  one  great  scene  of 
disorder,  and  universal  despair  would  reign  throughout 
the  whole.  With  this  view  of  the  subject,  and  believing 
that  the  "spirit  of  lying"  is  abroad  in  the  land,  I  make 
no  apology  for  writing  a  few  plain,  but  well-meant  things 
on  the  subject.  I  will  just  premise,  however,  that  these 
remarks    are    intended    for  general    purposes;    therefore, 


those  who  feel  clear  in  these  matters,  will  have  no  occa- 
sion to  receive  the  reproof;  those  who  may  feel  guilty,  are 
requested  not  to  transfer  to  their  neighbors  what  belongs 
to  themselves;  and  if  they  suit  no  one's  case,  then  let 
this  article  go  for  lost  labor. 

Falsehoods  are  of  various  kinds,  involving  different 
degrees  of  criminality,  according  to  the  intent  of  him  who 
commits  them,  and  the  evil  they  are  calculated  to  produce. 
Some  things,  spoken  or  written,  are  untrue,  but  not  known 
to  be  so  by  the  speaker  or  writer  at  the  time  they  are  put 
forth ;  these  are  rather  mistakes  and  infirmities,  than  sins, 
and,  therefore,  excusable.  Yet  they  who  commit  such 
errors  should  embrace  the  first  opportunity  of  correcting 
them,  for  the  sake  of  truth,  justice,  and  mutual  confidence. 
But  falsehoods,  properly  speaking,  are  numerous  and  vari- 
ous.    Of  these,  I  will  here  name  a  few. 

Lies  of  ceremony,  or  fashionable  lies.  Of  this  de- 
scription are  most  of  the  compliments  paid  to  men  high  in 
office,  the  puffs  bestowed  on  play-actors,  and  the  fashion- 
able ceremonies  of  social  life.     In  this  country  we  have 

nothing  to  do  with  his  Imperial  Majesty,  King  of , 

his  Holiness,  the  P ,  or  his  Lordship,  Bp.  of . 

We  sometimes  hear  of  an  intellectual  feast,  presented, 
with  inimitable   grace,   by   the    highly-accomplished  and 

justly-admired  Mrs. ,  who  appears  on  the  stage  for 

the  entertainment  of  the  rabble;  enough  to  sicken  any  man 
of  sense,  not  to  say  of  religion.  But  the  same  spirit  of 
"lying  vanity"  appears  more  or  less  in  the  daily  inter- 
course of  men.  When  two  strangers  are  introduced,  it  is 
common  to  hear  it  said,  "I  am  very  happy  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  you,"  though,  in  most  cases,  no  such  hap- 
piness is  felt.  One  individual,  wishing  to  be  thought  hos- 
pitable, or  to  accomplish  some  other  selfish  object,  will  say 
to  another,  in  conformity  to  the  rules  of  politeness,  "I 
should  be  highly  delighted  to   see   you   at   my   house," 


148  MISCELLANY. 

while,  in  his  heart,  he  hopes  the  invitation  may  not  be 
accepted,  or,  rather,  that  the  visit  may  not  be  paid. 
Again:  a  man  will  write  a  letter  filled  with  abuse,  that 
betrays  prejudice  and  hatred,  and  finish  with  these  words  : 
"I  am,  dear  sir,  yours,  respectfully."  This  short  compli- 
ment, in  every  such  case,  contains  two  lies ;  for  the  person 
addressed  is  neither  dear  to,  nor  respected  by  the  writer. 
Another  will  subscribe  himself,  "Your  obedient,  humble 
servant,"  who  could  not  be  more  highly  incensed,  by  any 
insult,  than  to  be  called  the  "servant"  of  any  man. 

Marvelous  lies.  These  are  often  told  by  those  who 
are  addicted  to  relating  wondrous  stories,  and  who,  for  the 
sake  of  the  tale,  or  blowing  the  trumpet  of  their  own  fame 
the  louder,  will  magnify  a  little  occurrence  into  a  large 
one ;  changing  or  supplying  facts  so  as  to  set  off  the  story 
to  the  best  advantage.  Can  a  man  tell  what  he  knows  to 
be  false,  in  whole  or  in  part,  to  excite  admiration  or  won- 
der, even  though  the  story,  in  other  respects,  be  harmless, 
and  yet  remain  innocent?  "I  trow  not."  Again:  many 
individuals,  perhaps  without  designing  any  evil  at  first, 
contract  a  foolish  habit  of  indulging  in  extravagant  say- 
ings and  comparisons,  such  as  these:  "I  am  as  cold  as 
ice;"  "I  thought  I  should  have  died  laughing;"  "I  am 
wearied  to  death;"  "This  bread  is  as  hot  as  fire;"  "I 
would  ten  thousand  times  rather  live  in  the  country  than 
in  the  city,"  etc.  This  impropriety  is  found  occasionally 
among  people  who,  in  other  respects,  appear  to  be  harm- 
less and  even  pious,  which  shows  that,  in  such  cases,  it  is 
more  the  result  of  habit  than  evil  intention.  Some  years 
since,  a  brother  in  the  Church  given  to  this  fault,  was 
reproved  by  a  venerable  minister,  and  advised  to  be  more 
guarded  in  future ;  he  received  it  kindly,  and  promptly 
acknowledged  he  was  sorry  for  his  numerous  offenses  of 
the  sort;  adding,  "Brother  C,  I  have  shed  barrels  of 
tears  on  that  very  account!" 


KSS  A  v  b.  149 

Selfish  lies.  These  are  often  told  by  trading  men, 
from  considerations  of  interest,  to  impose  on  others  for 
the  sake  of  "a  good  bargain."  If  "salesmen,"  "horse- 
swappers,"  and  "land-mongers,"  are  clear  of  the  charges, 
so  much  the  better.  Some  men  involve  themselves  in  the 
charge  of  falsehood  by  want  of  punctuality  in  business. 
A  mechanic  advertises  to  execute  work  with  neatness  and 
dispatch,  and  invites  custom.  A  bill  is  handed  in  for 
work,  and  accepted.  The  work  is  promised  at  a  certain 
day,  and  called  for,  but  not  obtained.  The  customer  is 
put  off  with  some  trifling  apology,  and  a  renewal  of  the 
promise  that  his  work  shall  certainly  be  done  by  a  given 
time;  but  he  is  again  disappointed.  After  going  from 
three  to  six  times  after  a  hat — I  did  not  say  bonnet — 
coat,  pair  of  shoes,  watch,  or  some  implement  of  hus- 
bandry, or  mechanism,  of  which  he  has  the  promise,  and 
hearing  twice  that  number  of  lies  told  by  the  master  of 
the  shop,  it  may  possibly  be  obtained  for  the  full  value  of 
it,  beside  the  disappointment  and  loss  of  time.  The  sin 
of  the  disappointing  party  does  not  consist  in  failing  to 
perform  what  is  impracticable,  but  in  promising  what  he 
knows  to  be  so,  rather  than  lose  a  job  by  letting  the  cus- 
tomer go  elsewhere.  And  how  much  better  is  the  farmer 
that  engages  to  bring  your  breadstuff,  fuel,  or  provender, 
and  fails;  the  debtor  who  secures  your  property  on  an 
obligation  to  pay  at  a  certain  time.,  which  he  knows  he  can 
not  do,  or  does  not  intend  to  perform;  the  minister  who 
calls  out  the  people  by  the  promise  of  a  sermon,  and  then, 
for  a  trivial  difficulty,  or  from  want  of  inclination,  fails  to 
meet  them;  or,  in  a  word,  any  individual  of  any  calling, 
who  is  in  the  habit  of  making  voluntary  engagements,  and 
willfully  breaking  them,  which  is  no  more  or  less  than 
habitual  lying?  If  such  people  could  be  convinced  that 
"honesty  is  the  best  policy,"  and  persuaded  to  act 
accordingly,  it  would  add   much  bo  their  interest*  b;>  tui 


160  M  I  SC  KLL  AN  Y  . 

increase  of  public  confidence  and  patronage,  and  much  to 
the  comfort  of  all  concerned.  One  point  more  should  be 
noticed  here.  Not  unfrequently,  men  having  committed 
faults,  will  deny  them,  or  tell  lies  to  conceal  them;  thus 
adding  sin  to  sin,  instead  of  seeking  pardon  for  those 
already  committed,  by  suitable  acknowledgment.  0, 
human  nature,  how  art  thou  fallen ! 

Professional  lies.  The  charge  of  falsehood  no  more 
lies  against  all  professional  men,  than  it  does  against  all 
mechanics,  farmers,  or  traders.  But  is  it  not  too  just  in 
reference  to  some  of  each  profession?  What  think  you 
of  the  doctor  who,  to  get  employ,  will  tell  the  patient  he 
is  very  ill,  when  he  knows  but  little  ails  him ;  or,  what  is 
worse,  that  the  patient  is  in  a  curable  condition,  when  he 
knows  the  contrary  ?  Are  there  not  just  such  doctors  in 
the  world?  Again:  what  think  ye  of  that  "limb  of  the 
law,"  who  encourages  his  client  to  bring  suit,  by  assuring 
him  of  success,  while  he  believes  that  success  is  doubtful; 
and  who  represents  the  said  client  as  a  worthy  citizen, 
while  he  knows  him  to  be  a  scoundrel ;  and  awards  a  fair 
reputation  to  the  perjured  witness  that  is  used  to  swear 
him  clear,  and  stamps  with  infamy  the  character  of  every 
honest  man  who  dares  to  tell  the  truth  against  him  ?  He 
may  be  a  shrewd  lawyer,  but  he  is  not  a  respectable  one, 
nor  a  man  of  truth.  Of  just  such  characters,  there  are 
too  many.  Once  more :  what  think  ye  of  the  pretended 
minister  of  Christ,  who  preaches  what  he  knows  to  be 
false  as  certainly  as  he  knows  the  Bible  to  be  true ;  as, 
for  instance,  that  there  is  no  general  judgment  in  a  future 
state,  no  punishment  to  the  wicked  after  death?  Is  he 
not  a  "lying  prophet?"  Every  man  must  admit  this,  or 
deny  the  truth  of  the  following  texts:  "It  is  appointed 
unto  men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment;"  "I 
saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God;"  "For 
we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ: 


ESSAYS.  1.51 

that  every  one  may  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body, 
according  to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or 
bad;"  "Then  shall  he  say  to  them  on  his  left  hand, 
Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared 
for  the  devil  and  his  angels." 

Malicious  lies.  Of  all  falsehoods,  these  are  the  most 
criminal,  being  uttered  not  only  to  deceive  those  to  whom 
they  are  told,  but  purposely  to  injure  the  characters 
against  whom  they  are  directed,  and  to  gratify  the  spirit 
of  malice  in  the  propagator  of  them.  Of  all  the  princi- 
ples of  our  fallen  nature,  this  is  one  of  the  most  degrad- 
ing. The  victim  of  slander  may  be  one  whose  only  crime 
or  offense  is,  that  of  an  amiable  character,  forming  such  a 
contrast  with  that  of  the  slanderer,  as  to  become  an  object 
of  hatred ;  for  the  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity  against 
God,  is  also  opposed  to  his  image,  formed  on  the  hearts, 
and  exhibited  in  the  lives  of  his  children.  Hence,  "all 
that  will  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus,  shall  suffer  persecu- 
tion"— will  be  pursued  with  malice  and  intent  to  injure. 
Or  the  pretext  for  slander  may  be  some  personal  offense, 
real  or  supposed,  for  which  revenge  is  sought  without 
regard  to  truth ;  or  it  may  originate  in  envy,  on  account 
of  rivalship ;  but  no  matter  what,  the  principle  of  slander 
is  the  same. 

Now,  as  lies  are  more  or  less  criminal,  and  as  men  are 
to  be  judged  according  to  their  deeds,  some  of  those  who 
deal  in  falsehood  may  be  punished  more  than  others ;  but 
fearful  will  be  the  doom  of  them  all.  He  that  is  to  judge 
the  world  in  righteousness,  has  said,  "All  liars  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  lake  which  burnetii  with  fire  and  brim- 
stone; which  is  the  second  death." 

Lies  of  misrepresentation.  One  of  the  most  success- 
ful methods  of  propagating  falsehood,  is  to  mix  some 
appearance  of  truth  with  it,  to  render  it  less  suspicious  to 
those  who  at  first  are  not  prepared  to  enter  entirely  into 


II  I  8  0  EL  L  A  H  Y  . 

the  views  of  the  propagator.  A  compound  of  truth  and 
falsehood,  is  more  dangerous  than  simple  falsehood, 
because  it  is  more  difficult  to  understand,  disprove,  and 
counteract.  Open  infidelity  is  less  to  be  feared  than  semi- 
infidelity.  But  our  business  is  with  practice  rather  than 
opinion.  When  the  Jews  demanded  of  Jesus  a  sign,  he 
meekly  replied,  "Destroy  this  temple,  [meaning  his  body,] 
and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it  up."  Whereupon  they 
charged  him  with  affirming,  that  he  could  rebuild  the 
Jewish  temple  in  three  days,  which  cost  their  fathers 
forty-six  years  labor.  Thus  they  perverted  his  words. 
This  case  forcibly  illustrates  a  principle  of  our  nature  as 
old  as  the  fall  of  man;  one  which  is  characteristic  of  his 
children  who  is  the  father  of  lies.  When  prejudice  is 
formed  in  the  mind  against  an  individual,  his  enemies, 
instead  of  interpreting  his  conduct  by  the  rules  of  fair- 
ness, catch  at  every  word  that  can  be  wrested  from  the 
true  deskm  of  the  author,  and  use  it  to  his  disadvantage. 
This  is  not  doing  as  they  would  be  done  by.  Simple  lies 
are  easily  detected,  in  most  cases,  and  therefore  compara- 
tively harmless,  except  to  the  authors  of  them ;  but  dark 
insinuations  and  lies,  mixed  with  some  truth  to  make  them 
current,  require  a  nice  investigation  to  separate  the  good 
and  evil,  and  are,  consequently,  more  mischievous  in  their 
tendency.  This  principle  of  misrepresentation  is  too  com- 
mon among  violent  partisans,  both  in  politics  and  religion, 
whether  expressed  through  the  press,  in  legislative  halls, 
or  from  the  pulpit.  Desperate,  indeed,  must  be  that 
cause,  which  requires  slander  to  support  its  claims  en 
public  opinion. 

Commonplace   lies.     Let   any    candid    man   make    his 
observations  on  men  and  things  as  he   pursues   Ins  ordi- 
nary business  in  any  populous  place,  and  then  say  whether 
there  be  any  just  ground  for  this  charge,  we  do  ft 
against  all,  but  against  too  many.     Lei  him  take  a  few 


ESSAYS.  153 

lessons,  as  an  observer,  where  he  will  see  human  nature 
acted  out  in  little  things.     Examples : 

Wherever  I  turn  my  eyes,  they  are  frequently  met  with 
the  word  grocery.  In  some  cases,  it  is  a  fair  index  to  the 
shop  which  bears  the  inscription;  as  such,  it  is  convenient 
and  right.  But  when  the  grocery  is  in  fact  a  "drunkery  ," 
and,  instead  of  sugar,  coffee,  etc.,  contains  barrels,  kegs, 
and  bottles  full  of  rum,  gin,  brandy,  and  whisky,  it  has  a 
lie  inscribed,  in  large  letters,  without,  and  bears  the  strong 
marks  of  pollution  and  crime  within.  Another  word  made 
very  conspicuous  among  us,  of  late,  is,  coffee-house. 
Where  the  term  is  truly  applied,  it  means  a  house  of 
entertainment.  But  when  a  house  is  set  apart  for  retail- 
ing strong  drink,  drunkenness,  gambling,  swindling,  and 
swearing,  all  days  and  nights  of  the  week — Sunday  not 
excepted — no  man  can  nail  up  his  sign  over  his  door, 
with  the  title  coffee-house,  without  publicly  recording  a 
falsehood.     Enough  of  this  for  the  present. 

Lies  in  high  places.  The  Bible  says,  "Men  of  high 
degree  are  a  lie."  In  most  cases  their  pretended  patriot- 
ism is  empty  show.  What  they  profess  to  do  for  the  love 
of  their  country,  is  too  often  done  for  self-aggrandize- 
ment; and  what  they  pretend  to  do  from  principle,  is 
frequently  done  for  party  purposes.  I  speak  not  of  any 
party  exclusively,  but  of  individuals  in  all  parties.  The 
unrenewed  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  despe- 
rately wicked. 

If  falsehood  and  deceit  existed  only  without  the  pales 
of  the  visible  Church,  the  consequence  would  be  less  evil. 
But  this  is  not  the  fact.  Suppose  a  man  should  profess 
belief  in  the  doctrine  and  government  of  some  branch  of 
the  Christian  Church,  in  order  to  gain  admission  to  her 
privileges,  or  obtain  ordination  among  her  ministers,  and 
then  spend  most  of  his  time  in  writing,  preaching,  or 
speaking  against  the  same  things  to  which  he  had  sub- 


1  54  M  ISGELLA  N  Y  . 

scribed  in  a  public  and  formal  manner ;  with  what  would 
lie  be  justly  chargeable?  If,  in  such  case,  he  be  sincere 
and  speak  the  truth  when  he  makes  his  formal  profession 
of  belief,  which  should  be  done  with  all  the  solemnity  of 
an  oath,  he  is  not  sincere  and  does  not  speak  truly,  when 
he  opposes  that  belief;  and  if  true  and  honest  in  his  oppo- 
sition, then  he  is  not  so  in  his  profession.  If  it  be  said, 
he  might  change  his  belief  after  joining  a  Church,  or 
being  ordained  a  minister;  I  answer,  then  let  him  pro- 
claim that  change,  and  peaceably  retire  like  an  honest 
man,  unite  with  those  of  the  same  opinion,  and  he  will  be 
both  believed  and  respected.  But  he  who  remains  in  any 
Church,  and  so  opposes  her  doctrines  and  his  own  former 
creed  as  to  disturb  her  quiet,  and  break  the  peace  of  her 
members,  is  not  entitled  to  much  credit  for  his  honesty  or 
veracity.  "Their  deceit  is  falsehood,"  Psalm  cxix,  118. 
All  hypocrisy  is  falsehood.  Every  hypocrite  is  a  liar. 
His  profession,  his  prayers,  songs,  alms,  and  acts  of  pub- 
lic devotion,  are  all  lies.  He  may  deceive  himself  by 
aiming  to  deceive  others;  but  God  can  not  be  deceived, 
and  will  not  be  mocked.  He  can  not  look  upon  sin  with 
allowance,  but  he  abhors  lying  in  all  its  forms,  especially 
in  those  who  "depart  from  the  faith,  giving  heed  to 
seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils;  speaking  lies  in 
hypocrisy,  having  their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot  iron, 
forbidding  to  marry,  and  commanding  to  abstain  from 
meats,"  etc.  For  further  proof  of  the  Divine  displeasure 
against  this  sin,  I  refer  to  the  fearful  end  of  Annanias 
and  Sapphira,  who  having  "lied  to  the  Holy  Ghost,"  sud- 
denly fell  down,  and  were  carried  out  to  their  burial. 
See  Acts  v,  1-11. 


ESSAYS.  155 


HOW  TO  PREPARE  SUBJECTS  FOR  THE  PENI- 
TENTIARY. 

As  the  state  is  mostly  dependent  on  parents  for  the  raw 
material,  I  would  suggest  a  few  things  to  those  parents 
who  live  in  cities  and  large  towns,  and  who  wish  to  pro- 
pose their  sons  as  candidates  for  penitentiary  distinction, 
which,  if  they  attend  to,  will  probably  prove  successful. 

If  young  children  cry  for  what  they  want,  be  sure  to 
give  it  to  them,  that  they  may  be  encouraged  to  cry 
again. 

When  the  mother  bids  her  little  son  to  do  her  any  serv- 
ice, let  his  father  put  these  words  in  his  mouth  for  answer : 
"I  won't."  And  if  his  mother  undertake  to  correct  him 
for  a  fault,  let  his  father  take  the  rod  from  her  and  throw 
it  in  the  fire :  this  will  greatly  confirm  him  in  his  re- 
bellion. 

As  soon  as  boys  are  large  enough,  let  them  run  at  large 
in  the  street,  selecting  their  own  company.  If  they  want 
candy  or  toys,  give  them  money  to  go  and  buy  at  will,  to 
encourage  their  extravagance.  Furnish  them  also  with 
marbles,  and  send  them  out  with  larger  and  worse  boys, 
that  they  may  not  only  learn  the  game,  but  also  the  art 
of  profane  swearing:  but  do  not  send  them  to  school;  it 
is  too  confining.  As  they  advance  in  years,  let  them 
know  that  Sunday  is  a  day  intended  for  strolling,  fishing, 
and  swimming,  and  not  for  Church  and  Sabbath  school. 
Send  them  to  all  shows  and  public  occasions,  but  more 
especially  to  the  circus  and  (heater. 

Instead  of  training  them  to  labor  and  habits  of  indus- 
try, let  them  race  all  day  through  the  market-house, 
throwing  stones  at  each  other,  and  at  ni"-ht  <>-o  the  rounds 
wherever  inclination  leads,  sport  with  squibs,  and  halloo 
without  restraint. 


156  MISCELLANY. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  for  parents  to  be  at  the  trouble 
of  continuing  this  course  long;  boys  at  ten  or  twelve  years 
of  age,  under  such  training,  will  have  such  a  fine  start,  as 
to  be  able  to  proceed  with  success  in  the  school  of  vice; 
many  of  them  will  graduate  before  they  are  eighteen ;  be 
turned  loose  on  society  well  prepared  to  act  their  part  in 
villainy,  and  obtain  an  honorable  seat  in  the  penitentiary 
before  they  are  eligible  for  one  in  the  legislature.  There 
is  a  large  and  promising  lot  of  them  coming  on  in  Cincin- 
nati, and  some  smaller  classes  of  them  in  the  less  populous 
places  of  the  west. 


BEECH-LOG  SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

To  one  who  was  born  in,  and  has  ever  hailed  from  the 
west,  it  is  matter  of  interest  to  compare  the  present  state 
of  society  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  as  it  regards  the 
knowledge  of  letters,  with  what  it  was  at  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  The  contrast  is  striking.  Well 
do  I  remember  the  first  school  I  ever  attended  in  the  days 
of  my  childhood,  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1 800,  which 
may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  literary  institutions  of 
that  period,  and  in  that  part  of  the  country.  I  was  but 
little  more  than  six  years  old,  but  had  the  advantage  of 
going  in  company  with  two  older  brothers  and  a  sister. 
To  receive  the  benefits  of  that  school,  we  had  daily  to 
cross  and  recross  the  Big  Kanawha  river  in  a  canoe.  Our 
temple  of  science  was  a  small  hut,  built  of  round  logs  and 
covered  with  clapboards,  having  no  floor  but  the  naked 
earth.  During  the  forenoon  of  the  first  day  the  school 
opened,  the  teacher  and  large  boys  were  employed  in 
repairing  the  house,  while  the  smaller  children  were 
scraping  up  an  outdoor  acquaintance.     Amid  those  scenes, 


ESSAYS.  157 

to  me  perfectly  novel,  one  of  the  teacher's  sons,  older 
than  I,  took  from  my  hand  Dihvorth's  Spelling-Book,  and 
examining  it,  asked  questions  and  received  answers  as 
follows:  "Are  you  in  baker?"  No.  "Are  you  in  a-b 
ab's?"  No.  "Are  you  in  a  b  c's?"  No.  "What 
then?"  In  nothing-  yet;  I  have  just  come  to  begin.  In 
the  afternoon  we  heard  the  call,  "Come  to  books."  I 
began  with  the  alphabet,  and  before  night  could  read  it 
all  correctly,  and  felt  encouraged,  especially  so  when 
allowed  to  "turn  a  leaf"  next  day. 

Our  school-house  was  situated  in  a  beech  grove  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  a  few  miles  above  Charleston,  Va.,  on 
the  present  site  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha  Saline,  where, 
in  those  days,  our  slumbers  were  often  disturbed  by  the 
howling  of  wolves,  or  an  uproar  among  the  swine,  occa- 
sioned by  the  attack  of  a  wild  bear,  which  was  always 
promptly  repelled  by  the  hardy  settlers,  with  their  dogs 
and  rifles,  and  generally  attended  with  a  total  defeat  on 
the  part  of  the  ferocious  enemy. 

The  teacher — Mr.  Clayton — was  little  more  than  a 
dwarf  in  stature,  but  decidedly  a  gentleman  in  his  man- 
ners, and  a  very  popular  schoolmaster  of  that  day.  It  is 
true  his  scientific  attainments  were  very  limited,  but  that 
was  not  then  objectionable,  as  the  standard  of  education 
■was  very  moderate.  Indeed,  many  of  those  born  and 
reared  in  the  west,  among  the  early  settlers,  had  none  at 
all,  nor  did  they  generally  feel  much  concern  on  the  sub- 
ject. Those  who  did  pretend  to  afford  their  children  a 
knowledge  of  letters,  had  many  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  especially  the  want  of  competent  teachers.  The 
custom  in  country  places  then  was,  for  some  one  of  the 
farmers  best  qualified  for  the  task,  to  spend  a  few  weeks, 
or  months,  of  the  most  leisure  season  of  the  year,  in 
teaching  the  children  of  the  neighborhood,  whose  parents 
might  choose  to  send  them,  at  a  small  expense,  say  $1.25 

14 


158  MISCELLANY. 

a  quarter,  payable  in  work  or  provisions.  In  this  way 
some  of  them  succeeded  in  obtaining  such  an  education 
as  was  then  thought  to  be  necessary  among  the  common 
people;  for  the  course  was  very  short  and  superficial. 
Girls  learned  to  spell  and  read  imperfectly — the  art  of 
writing  being  a  rare  attainment  among  the  native  daugh- 
ters of  the  west  of  that  day,  except  in  the  larger  towns, 
and  a  few  favored  spots  in  the  older  settlements.  The 
education  of  a  boy  was  then  considered  sufficient  among 
us  if  he  could  spell,  read,  write,  and  had  "ciphered  to 
the  rule  of  three;"  and  if  by  any  superipr  privilege  was 
added  to  these  a  knowledge  of  grammar  and  geography, 
he  was  considered  quite  learned.  The  following ^were  the 
principal  items  in  the  bill  of  expense  for  the  entire  course 
of  studies :  one  child's  book,  one  spelling-book,  one  reader, 
one  New  Testament — which  should  never  be  excluded — 
one  quire  of  foolscap,  one  arithmetic,  one  slate,  and  the 
tuition  fees  of  a  few  quarters — the  pupil  gathered  his  pen- 
cil from  the  brook,  and  plucked  his  quills  from  the  wing 
of  a  raven,  or  wild  goose,  killed  by  the  father's  rifle. 

Great  simplicity  of  manners  then  prevailed.  The  teacher 
and  children  ate  their  dinners  from  their  school-baskets, 
and  frequently  united,  on  a  common  level,  in  the  sports 
of  "play-time,"  as  they  called  the  recess  at  noon.  The 
amusements  consisted  of  athletic  exercises,  such  as  foot- 
racing, leaping,  catch-ball,  corner-pen,  etc.  Those  of  the 
girls,  who  were  always  required  to  occupy  different  ground, 
were  milder  and  more  simple.  The  scholars  were,  gen- 
erally, disposed  to  conform  to  the  rules  of  the  preceptor, 
except  once  a  year,  when  they  would  deliberately  enter 
into  a  plot  to  "turn  out  the  master,"  that  they  might 
enjoy  a  Christmas  frolic  without  restraint.  The  manner 
of  conducting  on  such  occasions  was  sufficiently  ludicrous. 
When  the  appointed  time  arrived,  which  they  took  good 
care  to  keep  concealed  from  the  master,  they  met  early  in 


LSSAYS.  15S> 

the  morning  in  the  school-house,  and  secured  the  door 
with  bars,  logs,  etc.,  shutting  themselves  in  and  him  out. 
They  also  took  care  to  arm  themselves  with  clubs,  sharp- 
pointed  sticks,  and  shovels  for  throwing  -ashes,  should  he 
attempt  to  descend  the  chimney.  When  he  came  and  de- 
manded entrance,  it  was  refused ;  but  they  presented  him 
with  written  terms  of  compromise,  securing  to  themselves 
as  much  holiday  as  they  desired.  If  lie  complied,  the 
door  was  unbarred;  if  not,  they  put  him  at  defiance.  In 
some  instances  he  obtained  a  reinforcement,  and  attempted 
to  storm  their  fort,  when  a  general  engagement  would 
ensue ;  but  knowing  what  would  be  the  consequence  if 
overcome,  they  fought  like  little  heroes  and  heroines,  and 
generally  maintained  their  ground  too;  for  tlreir  cause 
was  popular  with  the  citizens,  and  but  few  would  join  to 
oppose  the  little  rebels.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  this 
custom  prevailed  with  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  the 
parents  and  patrons  of  the  school,  who  frequently  took 
more  delight  in  feats  of  strength  and  activity  among  their 
children,  than  in  literary  acquirements. 

Since  that  I  have  had  occasion  to  travel  considerably 
through  the  west,  and  from  the  information  obtained  in 
this  way,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  same  state  of  things  that 
existed  in  our  own  neighborhood  at  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  in  reference  to  learning,  very  generally 
prevailed  in  the  western  states  and  territories;  from  which 
the  reader  can  judge  of  the  opportunity  we  had  of  be- 
coming scholars. 

A  few  years  subsequently,  however,  a  brighter  day 
began  to  dawn  upon  us. 

In  1811  Mr.  Paine,  a  native  of  England,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  came  to  the  west,  and 
taught  the  first  grammar  class  ever  formed  in  Cabell 
county,  where  we  then  lived.  He  had  been  employed 
about  forty  years  as  a  teacher  in  different  parts  of  Amer- 


160  MISCELLANY. 

ica,  raised  a  large  family,  and  given  them  a  good  English, 
education,  but  had  little  else  as  the  proceeds  of  his  toils 
to  leave  them.  He  died  a  few  years  after,  a  poor,  but 
pious  and  highly-respectable  man.  Such  were  the  encour- 
agements of  teachers  among  us  in  those  days,  who  were 
competent,  for  he  was  eminently  so.  Of  his  first  grammar 
class  in  that  part  of  the  country,  several  became  profes- 
sional men,  and  have  since  been  useful  to  society  as  phy- 
sicians, jurists,  and  divines.  Mr.  Paine's  school  was  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  clerk's  office,  in  which  I  was 
then  employed;  and  after  completing  my  day's  work,  I 
walked  that  distance  every  afternoon  to  recite  my  gram- 
mar lesson,  prepared  at  home  in  the  evening,  and  reviewed 
on  my  way  to  school.  Still  I  kept  up  and  graduated  with 
the  class,  and  never  since  regretted  my  extra  effort  to 
secure  that  little  stock  of  knowledge. 


BURNING  CANE. 
Pioneers  of  the  south-west  often  settle  in  the  midst  of 
extensive  cane-brakes,  and  occupy  camps  for  temporary 
habitations,  till  they  can  erect  houses.  To  prepare  the 
ground  for  cultivation,  they  first  cut  down  the  cane,  which 
is  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet  high,  from  a  half  an  inch 
to  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  so  close  together  in 
places,  that  it  can  be  passed  with  great  difficulty  by  man 
or  beast.  The  main  stalks  are  straight,  hollow,  and 
jointed ;  these  put  forth  small  branches  toward  the  top, 
covered  with  a  foliage  of  evergreen.  Among  these  beau- 
tiful reeds,  an  experienced  hand,  with  his  crooked  cleaver, 
makes  great  havoc,  taking  the  forest  in  throughs,  like  the 
reapers  do  the  field  of  corn,  and  laying  the  cut  cane  with 
some  degree  of  regularity  behind  him,  that  he  may  have 


fc8  SAYS.  161 

room  to  work.     When  all  is  laid  waste,  the  whole  ground 

is  covered  with  a  layer  some  two  feet  thick,  which,  when 

properly  dried,  is  set  on  fire,  and  creates  a  flame  sufficient 

to  clear  the  around  of  underbrush  and  all  light  combus- 
ts o 

tible  matter.  Burning  the  cane  also  kills  the  standing 
trees,  which  are  generally  few  and  large  on  such  ground ; 
for  it  not  only  produces  an  immense  heat  about  the  trunks, 
but  also  communicates  flame  to  the  long  moss  which  is 
attached  in  large  quantities  to  the  boughs,  till  the  whole 
area  seems  to  be  enveloped  in  a  general  conflagration, 
rising  above  the  tops  of  the  tallest  sweet  gums  and  elms. 
What  adds  greatly  to  the  interest  of  the  occasion,  is  the 
terrible  sound  caused  by  the  action  of  the  fire  on  the  cane 
stalks,  all  the  joints  of  which,  unless  previously  fractured 
by  accident,  burst  with  steam  pressure,  making  reports 
similar  to  those  of  fire-arms.  In  a  very  dry  time  the  fire 
will  run  through  standing  cane,  where  there  is  enough  of 
the  dead  article  to  set  the  green  on  fire ;  and  in  such  case 
the  reports  are  louder,  though  less  rapid,  for  the  green 
cane  produces  more  steam  than  the  dry.  Perhaps  there 
is  no  noise  which  so  much  resembles  that  of  a  fearful  battle 
between  two  extensive  armies  of  enraged  soldiers,  as  the 
noise  of  a  cane-brake  on  fire.  As  the  fire  passes  through 
the  thinner  places,  the  explosions  of  the  small,  the  me- 
dium, and  the  large  joints,  resemble  the  reports  of  numer- 
ous pistols,  rifles,  and  muskets,  all  distinctly  heard  in  quick 
succession ;  but  when  the  fire  gets  properly  under  way  in 
the  stiff  cane-brake,  whether  cut  or  standing,  the  explo- 
sions are  like  a  heavy  volley  simultaneously  poured  from 
the  whole  length  of  the  opposing  lines  in  battle  array. 
The  effects,  however,  on  the  feelings  are  very  different; 
while  the  noise  of  the  battle  thrills  the  soul  with  horror, 
that  of  the  burning  cane  forest  imparts  emotions  at  once 
sublime  and  pleasant. 


' 


162  MISCELLANY. 


ZOOLOGY-ALLIGATOR. 
The  American  crocodile,  or  alligator,  has  been  justly 
styled  "the  king  of  reptiles."  Those  of  the  south-west, 
when  fully  grown,  are  usually  from  nine  to  twelve  feet 
long,  rather  larger  round  the  middle  than  a  common-sized 
man,  and  weigh  from  two  to  three  hundred  pounds.  In 
their  general  form  they  resemble  the  lizard.  The  mouth 
is  of  fearful  dimension,  especially  when  extended;  for, 
unlike  other  animals,  they  have  power  to  move,  not  only 
the  lower,  but  also  the  upper  jaw,  by  reason  of  a  joint  on 
the  back  of  the  head  where  it  joins  on  to  the  neck,  which 
gives  the  head  a  singular  and  frightful  appearance.  The 
upper  and  lower  parts  of  the  alligator  are  shielded  by 
scales,  or  connected,  bony  substances,  as  large  as  silver 
dollars,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and  nearly  as  impen- 
etrable as  iron.  These  scales  are  overlaid  with  a  thin 
membranous  substance,  which  gives  them  rather  a  smooth, 
spotted  appearance.  Immediately  over  the  spine  there  is 
a  row  of  scales  with  horns,  or  knobs,  projecting  upward, 
which  causes  the  animal's  back  to  appear  scolloped  or 
indented.  His  sides  are  covered  only  with  thick,  tough 
hide,  which  will  answer  for  tug-strings,  or  coarse  leather. 
His  legs  are  short,  resembling  those  of  the  tortoise,  and 
better  adapted  to  swimming  than  traveling  on  land,  the 
hind  feet  being  much  larger  than  the  fore  ones.  The  tail 
is  flat,  and  finned  at  the  end,  like  that  of  a  fish,  and  is 
used  in  the  same  way  for  swimming.  The  alligator  is 
amphibious.  On  land  he  is  inactive,  and  moves  slowly,  as 
a  quadruped ;  in  water  more  rapidly,  by  the  double  mo- 
tion of  feet  and  tail.  The  oil  of  this  animal  is  valuable  for 
dressing  leather ;  the  flesh  is  inferior,  similar  in  appearance 


ESSAYS.  163 

and  taste  to  the  flesh  of  a  monstrous  cat-fish.*  His  tusks 
are  very  large,  and  sometimes  they  are  manufactured  into 
chargers,  to  measure  powder  for  the  woodman's  rifle. 
The  strength  of  alligators  is  thought  to  be  immense ;  and 
they  are  known  to  be  very  destructive  to  swine  and  other 
stock,  which  resort  to  the  edge  of  their  native  rivers  and 
bayous.  The  manner  in  which  this  creature  usually  takes 
his  prey  deserves  a  passing  notice.  Where  he  expects 
stock  or  wild  animals,  he  lies  concealed  near  the  shore,  as 
still  as  a  log,  with  only  one  eye  and  the  tip  of  his  nose 
above  water ;  or,  if  he  discovers  his  prey  near  the  water's 
edge  when  he  is  distant,  he  will  approach  so  slowly  and 
slyly,  as  not  to  be  discovered  till  he  gets  within  striking 
distance  ;  then  making  a  sudden,  powerful  sweep  with  the 
tail,  knocks  down  the  animal,  and  at  the  same  time  throw- 
ing the  head  round,  and  snapping  with  the  mouth,  by 
which  he  forms  himself  into  a  circle,  seizes  his  victim,  and 
instantly  disappears  under  water  till  it  is  drowned,  when 
he  brings  it  to  shore,  or  to  a  log  that  appears  above  the 
water,  where  he  soon  devours  the  carcass.  When  they 
are  on  land,  they  will  strike  at  whatever  comes  in  their 
way,  though  they  are  not  there  so  dangerous ;  because 
being  exceedingly  clumsy,  it  is  easy  to  keep  out  of  their 
way.  It  is  said  they  will  bite  nothing  while  it  is  under 
water,  but  will  seize  any  animal  on  the  surface,  from  a 
duck  to  a  horse,  and  draw  it  under  with  great  force, 
always  seizing  that  part  of  the  animal  which  is  above 
the  water.  The  female  alligator  deposits  her  eggs  on  dry 
land,  where  they  are  hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun; 
they  are  white,  about  the   size  of  turkey  eggs,  and   are 

°My  information  respecting  the  taste  was  derived  from  a  gentleman, 
■who  stated  that  he  and  a  few  others,  when  employed  as  soldiers  in  Flor- 
ida, some  years  ago,  being  in  a  starving  condition,  had  made  a  repast  on 
an  alligator's  tail.  But  if  we  may  judge  of  the  taste  from  the  smell,  it 
was  not  a  very  delicious  meal — the  animal  puts  forth  a  perfume  resem 
hling  musk. 


164:  MISCELLANY. 

numerous — from  forty  to  sixty  in  one  nest.  The  nest  is 
usually  formed  of  sticks  and  leaves  near  the  water,  and  is 
often  found  by  the  alligator's  slide,  or  smooth  path  up  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which  she  makes  by  traveling  to  and 
from  her  nest.  The  bellow  of  the  male  alligator,  which  is 
often  heard  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  is  hideous,  remind- 
ing one  of  distant  thunder.  On  the  Black  river,  in  Louis- 
iana, and  the  neighboring  lakes  and  bayous,  where  they 
have  not  been  so  frequently  alarmed  by  steamboats,  nor 
the  sportsman's  gun,  alligators  are  quite  tame,  and  may 
be  easily  killed  with  a  well-charged  rifle,  or  a  strong  spear, 
as  they  lie  half  torpid  on  the  shore,  sunning  themselves 
during  the  first  warm  spring  days  along  the  water's  edge. 
In  1 837  I  saw  a  very  large  one  receive,  on  the  side  of  his 
head,  a  deadly  shot  of  a  rifle,  fired  from  the  hurricane 
deck  of  a  steamboat,  as  she  ascended  Black  river.  On 
receiving  the  shot,  he  suddenly  turned  on  his  side,  quiv- 
ered a  few  seconds,  and  commenced  his  death-struggle, 
like  any  other  animal  shot  through  the  brain. 


A  HAPPY  COLONY. 
Good  news ;  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  unto  all  people ! 
A  colony  has  been  formed,  calculated  to  meet  the  views 
and  promote  the  happiness  of  all  concerned.  Let  the 
north  give  up,  and  the  south  keep  not  back.  Let  the 
friends  of  abolition  and  of  colonization  cease  their  strife, 
and  unitedly  go  into  the  highways  and  hedges  to  bring 
in  colonists.  There  is  ample  territory  provided  for  all. 
Multitudes  are  willing  to  go,  and  only  wait  to  learn  by 
what  means  they  can  get  there.  About  this,  there  need 
be  no  failure,  for  exhaustless  treasures  arc  pledged  for 
the  success  of  the  enterprise.     The  colony  is  located -in 


ESSAYS.  165 

the  best  climate,  and  on  the  best  soil  in  the  universe, 
•where  there  is  no  "war,  no  lawless  tumult,  no  poverty,  no  toil 
or  peril,  disease  or  famine.  Though  the  colony  is  remote, 
the  voyage  to  it  is  soon  made ;  and  with  perfect  safety,  if 
you  take  a  passage  in  the  colony's  daily  packet,  which 
plies  constantly  between  it  and  all  the  ports  of  the  known 
world.  The  benefits  of  this  colony  are  not  limited  to  the 
colored  race ;  but  extend  to  all  of  every  nation,  whether 
black,  red,  white,  or  tawny,  who  were  in  bondage,  but 
have  been  redeemed  by  an  incalculable  price.  The  ran- 
som was  paid  by  a  most  benevolent  King,  who  proposes 
now,  with  their  consent,  to  knock  off  their  manacles, 
"make  them  free  indeed,"  and  colonize  them  in  the 
choicest  part  of  his  dominions.  Very  many  are  already 
there,  who  find  prepared  for  them  a  city  more  splendid, 
with  mansions  more  spacious  and  beautiful  than  any 
described  by  ancient  or  modern  historians ;  and  this  col- 
ony is  finally  to  become  the  permanent  home  of  all  the 
truly  wise,  virtuous,  and  pious,  among  all  nations,  but  of 
none  others.  None  possessed  of  intemperate  habits,  vicious 
principles,  or  malevolent  feelings,  can  ever  be  admitted 
to  that  peaceful  country.  It  is  situated  in  the  regions 
of  Immortality,  and  is  called  The  Promised  Land;  the 
name  of  the  chief  city  is  New  Jerusalem;  and  the  King 
of  the  country  is  styled,  The  Desire  of  all  Nations. 
His  throne  resembles  a  mountain  of  ivory  environed  with 
evergreens,  from  the  foot  of  which  issues  a  crystal  stream, 
deep  and  broad,  called  the  River  of  Life.  The  habili- 
ments of  the  King  are  flowing  robes,  extending  to  the 
feet,  as  bright  as  the  morning  light,  and  fastened  with  a 
golden  girdle ;  a  rainbow  encircles  his  head ;  his  face  out- 
shines the  sun;  and  on  his  breastplate  of  righteousness 
is  written,  "King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords."  Imme- 
diately around  Him,  are  the  myriads  of  his  redeemed 
subjects,  who  "have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them 


166  MISCELLANY. 

■white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,"  singing  the  new  song, 
which  none  can  sing  but  those  redeemed  from  the  earth 
by  the  King.  These  are  the  colonists  proper.  Next  to 
them,  but  a  little  further  from  the  throne,  are  the  natives 
of  the  country,  called  "the  sons  of  God;"  they  are  the 
same  who  shouted  when  the  foundations  of  the  earth  were 
laid.  These  natives,  though  they  can  not  sing  the  new 
song,  appear  to  be  much  delighted  with  it.  They  stand 
the  ready  and  willing  messengers  of  the  King  on  all 
errands  of  mercy  and  love,  especially  in  reference  to  all 
those  who  are  candidates  for  the  "promised  land.  The 
number  of  these  is  increasing  every  day.  The  population 
of  the  colony  is  already  immense ;  our  informant — Reve- 
lation, 7th  chapter — says  he  saw  "a  hundred  and  forty 
and  four  thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of 
Israel"  there;  and  adds,  "After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a 
great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  na- 
tions, and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before 
the  throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes, 
and  palms  in  their  hands ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying,  Salvation  to  our  God,  which  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb !"  Who  will  go  and  join  this 
happy  colony  ?  All  who  accede  to  the  King's  terms,  can 
have  an  inheritance  among  their  brethren,  for  the  King 
says,  "Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of 
the  earth;  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else." 


MORAL   CONFLICT. 

There  is  a  revolt  in  one  of  the  provinces  of  the  King 
of  kings,  and  a  terrible  Avar  in  progress.  The  whole  world 
is  more  or  less  interested  in  and  affected  by  it.  The  things 
in  dispute  are  the  souls  of  men — deathless  spirits,  destined 


ESSAYS.  1G7 

to  endless  bliss,  or  endless  woe.  The  value  of  an  immor- 
tal spirit  may  be  inferred  from  the  vast  expenditure  of 
blood  and  treasure  for  its  recovery  from  the  ruins'of  the 
fall;  also  from  the  fact,  that  the  energies  of  both  worlds 
are  engaged  in  the  conflict  over  it.  God  and  his  angels 
are  for  it,  the  devil  and  his  angels  are  against  it,  and  men 
and  women  are  divided  on  the  subject.  At  first  view,  the 
prospect  looks  gloomy ;  especially  when  the  soul  itself  is 
so  intoxicated  by  sin  as  to  be  bewildered,  and  apparently 
indifferent  as  to  whose  hands  it  may  fall  into,  or  what 
/iestiny  awaits  it  hereafter.  The  immediate  scene  of  action 
is  this  earth  we  inhabit ;  and  in  no  part  of  the  earth  is  the 
conflict  more  signal  than  in  these  United  States.  Here- 
the  enemy  is  intrenching  himself;  struggling  to  get  and 
keep  possession  of  the  strongholds,  especially  about  the 
large  cities  and  great  thoroughfares  of  travel.  A  very 
brief  survey  of  the  ground  is  sufficient  to  observe  the 
inroads  the  enemy  is  making.  Those  public  lines  of  Sun- 
day travel  are  prostituted  highways  for  the  transportation 
of  the  devil's  troops  and  military  stores ;  gaming-houses 
are  the  devil's  military  academies;  tippling-houses  are 
the  devil's  outposts,  where  he  enlists  his  raw  recruits; 
dancing-masters  and  fiddlers  are  his  fuglemen  to  train 
them  in  his  infernal  tactics;  infidel  papers  are  the  devil's 
banners,  on  whose  vile  folds  is  inscribed,  "I  believe  in  all 
unbelief;"  distributors  of  novels  and  all  sorts  of  infidel 
publications  are  the  devil's  colporteurs;  infidel  orators, 
whether  called  lecturers  or  preachers,  are  the  devil's  em- 
bassadors;  race-grounds  are  the  devil's  muster-fields, 
where  he  reviews  his  troops  and  numbers  his  forces;  the- 
aters and  circuses  are  the  devil's  chapels,  where  his 
worshipers  shout  his  praise;  houses  of  debauchery  are 
favorite  places  of  resort,  where  the  devil  and  his  personal 
friends  hold  their  night  revels;  but  that  place  of  general 
resort    and    fashionable    dissipation    on    the    Lord's    day, 


168  MISCELLANY. 

•wherever  it  may  be  selected,  is  the  devil's  headquarters, 
where  he  holds  councils  of  war  with  his  subalterns,  and 
plans  his  general  onslaughts.  Thus  the  enemy  covers  a 
broad  surface. 

This  array  of  opposition  looks  fearful;  but  "He  that  is 
for  us  is  greater  than  all  that  can  be  against  us;  and, 
though  he  works  by  means  and  second  causes,  he  will  go 
before  us,  and  fight  our  battles  for  us.  Our  thirty  thou- 
sand churches,  like  so  many  fortifications,  well  supplied 
with  heavenly  munitions,  are  weekly  filled  with  some  mill- 
ions of  soldiers  of  the  cross,  armed  with  the  shield  of 
faith  and  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  These,  like  patriot 
soldiers,  defending  their  own  just  rights,  are  nerved  with 
courage  more  than  mortal — knowing  that  truth  is  mighty, 
and  must  prevail.  Our  colleges  and  seminaries  are  pre- 
paring many  minds  to  act  a  distinguished  part  in  this 
glorious  cause.  Our  Bible  houses  and  religious  book 
concerns,  are  armories,  preparing  abundance  of  ordnance. 
Religious  tract  societies  are  throwing  incessant  showers  of 
bird-shot  into  the  faces  of  the  invading  foe ;  the  religious 
press  continually  pours  a  galling  fire  of  grape-shot  through 
all  the  ranks  of  the  enemy ;  Bible  societies  are  driving  a 
million  of  battering-rams  against  the  bowing  walls  of  the 
devil's  kingdom,  and  shaking  them  to  their  sandy  founda- 
tions ;  while  missionary  societies  are  hurling  Gospel  bombs 
into  all  his  strongholds,  and  blowing  up  his  magazines. 
In  the  mean  time,  thirty  thousand  pulpits  are  filled  with 
embassadors  of  heaven,  exhorting  millions  to  yield  to  the 
scepter  of  mercy,  and  render  obedience  to  the  King  of 
Zion.  Many  wounded  in  spirit  are  brought  into  the  Gos- 
pel hospital,  and  healed  by  the  heavenly  Physician ;  while 
others,  convinced  that  they  are  waging  an  unequal  and 
inglorious  warfare  against  their  rightful  Sovereign,  make 
a  Gospel  surrender  at  the  altar  of  prayer,  and  become  the 
willing  subjects  of  the  Prince  of  life.     By  our  own  division 


ESSAYS.  169 

of  the  Christian  army,  during  the  past  year,  more  than 
thirty-two  thousand  souls  were  made  joyful  prisoners  of 
hope.  Our  German  missions  are  extending  the  victories  of 
the  cross  of  Christ  even  among  the  legions  of  the  Pope's 
invincibles,  which  were  sent  over  to  invade  our  happy  land. 
Thus,  by  fire  and  sword,  does  God  plead  with  all  flesh ; 
but  they  are  the  fire  of  love,  and  the  sword  of  the  Spirit. 
Triumphantly  does  the  peaceful  banner  of  the  Gospel  wave 
over  thousands  of  places,  once  the  strongholds  of  Satan. 
"The  Captain  of  our  salvation,"  made  perfect  through 
suffering,  never  loses  a  battle.  He  is  "mighty  to  save, 
and  strong  to  redeem."  In  his  service,  the  race  is  not 
to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong.  His  strength  is 
made  perfect  in  our  weakness ;  so  that  one  shall  chase  a 
thousand,  and  two  put  ten  thousand  to  flight. 

If  it  be  asked  what  is  the  prospect  before  us,  let  the 
reports  of  the  Sabbath  school  unions  answer.  In  all  the 
American  Churches  the  number  of  children  trained  in 
Sabbath  schools  is  about  two  millions — enough  to  fill  a 
field  containing  a  hundred  acres.  By  these  the  Churches 
will  be  filled  with  spiritual  wrorshipers,  new  colonies  formed, 
and  the  Gospel  carried  to  heathen  lands.  Now,  suppose 
all  these  were  assembled  in  one  place,  and  they  should  all 
at  once  betrin  to  sins:, 

"Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow; 
Traise  him  all  creatures  here  below,"  etc.; 

or  suppose  that,  like  the  children  who  saw  Jesus  descend- 
ing from  the  Mount  of  Olives,  they  should  wave  their 
palm-leaf  banners,  and  shout,  "Ilosanna  to  Him  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  !  hosanna  in  the  highest!" 
would  it  not  send  a  thrill  of  joy  to  the  hearts  of  millions 
of  Christians,  and  spread  dismay  and  terror  through  all 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy?  But,  distributed,  as  they  are, 
over  these  United  States,  they  are  doing  a  thousand  times 

15 


170  MISCELLANY. 

more  for  the  cause  of  Christ  than  they  could,  if  all  were 
assembled  in  one  solid  square.  And  when  they  reach 
maturity,  and  become  fully  imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
piety,  as  most  of  them  will,  what  shall  stand  before  them? 
The  sight  of  them  would  be  sufficient  to  make  the  stoutest 
inlidel  hearts  quail ;  and  when  they  raise  the  torches  of 
salvation,  and  shout,  "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of 
Gideon,"  the  ranks  of  the  devil  must  give  way,  and  break 
into  general  confusion;  for  "one  shall  become  a  thousand, 
and  a  small  one  a  strong  nation :  I  the  Lord  will  hasten  it 
in  his  time." 


put  IstnnL 
BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES. 


Biographical    %kttct)ts. 


REV.  VALENTINE  COOK. 

Among  the  fathers  of  American  Methodism,  but  few,  if 
any,  were  more  distinguished  in  the  work  than  the  Rev. 
V.  Cook.  Though  no  regular  biographical  sketch  of  his 
life  and  labors  should  ever  be  published,  his  name  would 
be  handed  down  by  tradition  from  father  to  son,  and  from 
mother  to  daughter,  to  the  third  and  fourth  generations. 
His  monument  is  in  the  affections  of  the  people.  I  am 
pleased,  however,  to  learn  that  some  of  his  lineal  descend- 
ants are  collecting  materials  for  such  a  work,  and  wish 
them  great  success.  The  Church  of  Christ  has  already 
suffered  much  loss  by  its  being  deferred  so  long. 

While  Mr.  Cook  was  a  student  in  one  of  the  colleges  of 
Pennsylvania,  if  I  am  correctly  informed,  he  gave  indica- 
tions of  deep  piety,  and  of  talents  which  promised  exten- 
sive usefulness  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  to  which  he 
was  evidently  called  of  God.  And  such  was  the  demand 
for  laborers  in  that  day,  that  Bishop  Asbury  made  a  call 
for  him  to  go  out  into  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  before  he 
was  ready  to  graduate ;  and  feeling  himself  moved  thereto 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  left  all  and  followed  Christ.  He 
was  admitted  as  a  traveling  preacher  in  1788.  His  first 
appointment  was  to  Calvert,  in  the  Baltimore  conference ; 
but  most  of  his  life  was  spent  in  the  western  country, 
especially  Kentucky. 

Mr.  Cook's  person  was   peculiar.      He  was  very  tall, 

but    somewhat  stooping  in  the   shoulders ;    had   a  giant 

frame,  without  any  surplus  flesh.     His   small,  dark  eyes 

were  set  far  back  in  his  large  head:  his  mouth  was  unu- 

15*  173 


174  MISCELLANY. 

sually  large ;  the  general  features  of  his  face  were  coarse, 
his  complexion  somber,  and  his  beard  heavy.  Still,  when 
he  was  preaching,  and  his  countenance  lighted  up  with 
intelligence,  and  his  features  softened  with  a  glow  of 
benevolence,  and  smoothed  over  with  heavenly  serenity, 
his  appearance  was  not  only  striking,  but,  upon  the  whole, 
rather  agreeable.  No  doubt  one  simple-hearted,  pious 
woman  thought  so,  when,  having  received  a  great  blessing 
under  his  preaching,  she  looked  up  to  him  in  the  pulpit 
and  said,  "  Father  Cook,  God  bless  your  big  mouth !" 

In  his  manners,  brother  Cook  was  a  pattern  of  Christian 
simplicity;  so  much  so,  that  children  felt  unembarrassed 
in  his  presence.  His  colloquial  powers  were  of  a  high 
order ;  and  to  all  pious  people  he  was  at  once  an  instruct- 
ive and  agreeable  companion.  Though  capable  of  discuss- 
ing any  subject,  his  standing  theme  was  religion.  What- 
ever topic  of  conversation  was  introduced,  he,  in  the  end, 
turned  it  to  the  account  of  godly  edification.  He  was 
considered,  by  all  who  knew  him,  a  good  fireside  preacher, 
and,  of  course,  was  always  a  welcome  guest. 

Brother  Cook,  as  a  preacher,  was  altogether  above  the 
medium  grade.  His  pulpit  performances  were  marked  for 
appropriateness,  variety,  fluency,  and  extraordinary  force. 
Though  possessed  of  a  pacific  spirit,  he  soon  became  dis- 
tinguished as  a  defender  of  the  faith  against  the  various 
antichristian  systems  of  the  age  and  country  in  which  he 
lived  and  labored;  for  in  that  day  our  fathers  had  numer- 
ous opponents,  and  had  to  contend  with  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God,  for  every  inch  of  ground 
they  occupied.  But  he  became  much  more  distinguished 
on  account  of  his  wonderful  success  in  winning  souls  to 
Christ.  Though  he  was  a  man  of  science  and  letters,  he 
placed  no  dependence  in  either  when  preaching ;  but  dealt 
only  in  the  article  of  Gospel  truth,  presented  in  the  most 
simple  form,  but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  175 

power.  This  he  did,  apparently,  with  a  firm  confidence 
that  God  would  bless  his  own  truth  to  the  present  salva- 
tion of  his  hearers;  and  he  was  but  seldom  disappointed. 
Thousands  received  the  word  of  life  from  his  lips,  who 
never  heard  it  to  profit  before,  and  became  the  humble 
and  happy  subjects  of  the  saving  grace  of  God. 

After  being  employed  some  twelve  years  as  a  regular 
itinerant  preacher,  want  of  health,  or  some  other  circum- 
stance, induced  him  to  take  a  local  relation.  Subsequently 
he  was,  for  some  years,  principal  of  an  academy  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  otherwise  employed  in  teaching.  But  he  was 
one  of  the  few  located  brethren  who  never  lost  the  spirit  of 
their  Gospel  mission.  So  soon  as  he  got  his  large  family 
situated  on  a  farm,  so  as  to  get  along  without  him,  with- 
out changing  his  relation,  he  became  an  itinerant  in  fact, 
and  gave  himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
His  service  was  in  great  demand.  Invitations  from  places 
far  and  near — more  than  he  was  able  to  fill — poured  in 
upon  him. 

He  was  emphatically  a  man  of  prayer  and  faith,  and — 
like  Enoch — walked  with  God.  Perhaps  no  man  of  mod- 
ern times  was  more  deeply  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  grace, 
had  more  experience  in  "the  deep  things  of  God,"  or  felt 
more  deadness  to  the  world,  than  V.  Cook.  One  conse- 
quence was,  he  sometimes  betrayed  absence  of  mind  in 
commonplace  matters.  Indeed,  when  he  retired  for  secret 
devotion,  just  before  public  service,  his  friends  had  to 
watch  him,  or  he  would  pray  till  after  the  time  appointed 
for  him  to  commence  preaching.  In  the  winter  of  181 1— 
12,  a  succession  of  earthquakes  caused  such  a  shaking  of 
the  earth,  that  many  people  were  greatly  alarmed.  The 
most  violent  concussion  was  felt  on  a  certain  dark  night, 
at  an  untimely  hour,  when  men  were  wrapped  in  slum- 
ber. It  was  enough  to  make  the  stoutest  heart  tremble. 
Brother  Cook,  suddenly  roused  from  sleep,  made  for  the 


176  MISCELLANY. 

door,  exclaiming,  "I  believe  Jesus  is  coming."  His  wife 
was  alarmed,  and  said,  "Will  you  not  wait  for  me?"  Said 
he,  "  If  my  Jesus  is  coming,  I  will  wait  for  nobody.' ■  Of 
course,  he  felt  both  ready  and  anxious  to  meet  his  Lord 
and  Savior. 

While  brother  Cook  was  remarkable  for  solemnity,  both 
of  appearance  and  deportment,  there  was,  in  his  natural 
composition,  a  spice  of  eccentricity,  sufficient  to  attract 
attention,  but  not  to  destroy  his  ministerial  influence.  On 
one  occasion  he  commenced  his  public  discourse — in  a 
country  place — thus:  "As  I  was  riding  along  the  road 
to-day,  I  saw  a  man  walk  out  into  his  field  with  a  yoke 
under  his  arm ;  by  the  motion  of  the  stick,  he  brought  up 
two  bullocks,  and  placed  the  yoke  upon  them.  At  another 
place  I  saw  an  ass  standing  by  a  corn-crib,  waiting  for  his 
daily  provender."  Then  he  read  for  his  text,  "The  ox 
knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's  crib ;  but 
Israel  doth  not  know,  my  people  doth  not  consider,"  Isa. 
i,  3.  He  was  a  ready  man,  had  a  fruitful  mind,  and,  no 
doubt,  what  he  had  seen  on  the  way  suggested  the  subject 
of  his  discourse.  Another  instance  of  his  well-meant  ec- 
centricity occurred  at  the  Shaker  village  in  Logan  county, 
not  far  from  his  residence.  Believing  the  Shakers  wero 
deluded,  and  feeling  deeply  concerned  for  their  souls,  he 
sought  an  interview  with  their  head  men,  and,  as  he  un- 
derstood  it,  obtained  leave  to  address  their  people  on  a 
certain  Sabbath,  at  the  close  of  their  regular  exercise. 
However,  at  the  time  agreed  on,  the  Shaker  preacher  dis- 
missed the  congregation,  and  urged  them  to  retire  from 
the  chapel  immediately.  But  brother  C.  was  not  to  be  so 
easily  defeated;  and  running  before  the  people,  mounted 
upon  a  hen-house,  and  called  on  them  to  stop  and  hear 
the  word  of  the  Lord.  Some  of  them  did  so,  and  he 
preached  to  them  from  the  words  of  Paul:  "Now  as 
Jannes  and  Jambres  withstood  Moses,  so  do  these  also 


BIOGRAPHICAL      SKETCHES.  177 

resist  the  truth,"  2  Tim.  iii,  8.  This  novel  movement 
arose  from  his  ardent  desire  for  the  salvation  of  all  men. 
But,  so  far  as  the  result  was  known,  it  was  lost  labor. 

My  personal  acquaintance  with  brother  Cook  commenced 
in  his  own  house,  near  Russellville,  Ky.,  in  the  summer  of 
1815,  and  was  renewed  when  I  became  a  member  of  the 
Kentucky  conference,  by  transfer,  in  1821.  From  that 
time  till  his  death,  my  fields  of  labor  being  somewhat 
contiguous  to  his  residence,  I  saw  something  of  his  move- 
ments, and  heard  much  more.  He  was  then  an  old  man, 
and  honored  as  a  father  in  the  Church,  but  still  possessed 
of  strong  physical  and  mental  powers.  His  aid  was  anx- 
iously sought  after  on  all  important  occasions  in  the  west 
part  of  the  state ;  and  wherever  he  appeared  in  a  religious 
assembly,  he  was  hailed  as  a  harbinger  of  mercy.  Whole 
multitudes  of  people,  on  popular  occasions,  were  moved  by 
the  Spirit  of  grace  under  his  preaching,  as  the  trees  of  the 
forest  were  moved  by  the  winds  of  heaven.  His  last  public 
effort,  as  I  was  informed  by  some  who  were  present,  made 
at  Yellow  Creek  camp  meeting,  in  Dixon  county,  Tenn., 
was  a  signal  triumph.  While  preaching  on  the  Sabbath, 
such  a  power  came  down  on  the  people,  and  produced 
such  excitement,  that  he  was  obliged  to  desist,  till  order 
was  partially  restored.  Shortly  after  he  resumed  speak- 
ing he  was  stopped  from  the  same  cause.  A  third  attempt 
produced  the  same  result.  He  then  sat  down  amidst  a 
glorious  shower  of  grace,  and  wept,  saying,  "If  the  Lord 
sends  rain,  we  will  stop  the  plow,  and  let  it  rain." 

When  he  returned  home  from  this  meeting,  early  in  the 
week,  he  received  a  message  requesting  him  to  visit  Major 
Moor,  in  Russellville,  who  was  dangerously  sick  of  a  fever; 
and  he  went  immediately.  The  incidents  of  that  visit 
were  related  to  me  by  Mrs.  Russell,  of  Greenville,  who 
was  mother-in-law  of  the  sick  man,  and  was  present  on 
the  occasion.      Her  word  was  good  authority  in  all  that 


178  MISCELLANY. 

region  of  country.  After  a  short  conversation  with  Major 
Moor,  the  aged  minister  kneeled  down  and  prayed  most 
fervently  for  him  several  times,  as  if  he  did  not  intend  to 
cease  pleading  till  his  petition  was  granted.  At  length 
the  physicians  ordered  the  room  to  be  cleared,  the  effect, 
if  not  the  design,  of  which  was  to  exclude  the  praying 
minister.  They,  however,  could  not  stop  his  praying. 
As  Mrs.  Russell  stood  in  the  back  yard,  after  nightfall, 
she  heard  his  voice  amidst  the  shrubbery  of  the  garden, 
still  pleading,  in  most  plaintive  strains,  for  the  dying  man. 
Subsequently,  as  he  walked  slowly  toward  the  house, 
bringing  his  hands  softly  together,  she  heard  him  say,  in 
a  subdued  tone,  to  himself,  "He  will  not  die  to-night,  nor 
to-morrow,  nor  to-morrow  night,  for  so  far  the  Lord  has 
made  known  to  me;  but  beyond  that  I  have  as  yet  no 
answer."  So  it  turned  out;  he  did  not  die  within  the  time 
specified,  but  he  died  the  day  following.  Before  he  ex- 
pired, however,  brother  Cook  went  home  sick,  and  died 
himself  in  a  very  few  days — I  think  on  the  next  Sabbath. 
But  he  died  as  he  had  lived,  a  man  of  God,  and  was 
lamented  by  the  whole  community,  which  had  been  so 
often  moved  and  profited  by  his  powerful  ministrations. 
This  was  perhaps  in  1823,  though  I  am  not  quite  certain. 
A  year  or  two  after  his  decease  I  attended  a  camp 
meeting  near  the  farm  on  which  he  died,  and  where  his 
family  still  resided.  During  all  the  public  prayer  meet- 
ings in  the  altar,  I  observed  a  small  boy  exceedingly 
active  among  the  penitents.  His  fine,  shrill  voice,  was 
distinctly  heard  on  every  such  occasion,  cheering  them  on 
by  his  exhortations  and  prayers.  Finally,  I  asked  a  friend 
with  whom  I  was  conversing,  whose  little  son  he  was.  He 
replied,  "That  is  the  youngest  son  of  father  Cook,  whose 
remains  lie  interred  just  behind  that  meeting-house" — 
pointing  to  a  plain  building  in  sight.  He  then  proceeded 
to  relate  the  following  incident,  which  I  give  as  nearly  in 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  179 

his  own  way  as  I  can  remember  it:  "Sister  Cook's  four 
younger  sons  were  one  day  working  together  in  the  field. 
This  youngest  one,  that  you  see,  had  for  some  time  been 
seeking  religion.  That  day  lie  absented  himself  for  a 
time,  and  while  praying  in  the  woods,  alone,  the  Lord 
converted  him.  When  he  returned  to  the  field,  and  told 
his  brothers  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  him,  they  were 
deeply  affected,  especially  the  next  youngest  brother, 
whom  he  exhorted  and  prayed  for  till  he  was  converted. 
The  two  young  converts,  strong  in  faith,  then  commenced 
praying  for  the  next  youngest  brother,  and  prayed  alter- 
nately till  he  was  converted.  Immediately  all  three  com- 
menced exhorting  and  praying  for  the  oldest  brother,  and 
hung  on  till  he  was  converted.  Having  made  a  clean 
sweep,  they  all  returned  together  to  their  widowed  mother, 
rejoicing  in  their  first  love,  and  told  her  what  great  things 
the  Lord  had  done  for  them."  This  remarkable  instance 
of  saving  grace  reminded  me  of  God's  method  of  working, 
"from  the  least  even  unto  the  greatest;"  and  also  of  the 
promise,  "Leave  thy  fatherless  children,  I  will  preserve 
them  alive ;  and  let  thy  widows  trust  in  me,"  Jeremiah 
xlix,  11. 


JESSE   WALKER. 

The  name  of  Jesse  Walker  will  secure  a  careful  reading 
of  this  article,  however  imperfectly  it  may  reflect  his  per- 
son and  character.  Among  the  people  of  the  west,  where 
he  was  a  noted  pioneer,  it  will  awaken  the  memory  of 
thousands  to  incidents  not  only  of  stirring  interest,  but 
occasionally  bordering  upon  moral  sublimity.  Having 
emigrated,  with  his  family,  from  North  Carolina  to  Ten- 
nessee, about  the  close  of  the  last,  or  beginning  of  the 


180  MISCELLANY. 

present  century,  he  was  for  some  time  employed  in  dress- 
ing deer-leather,  an  article  then  in  great  demand,  being 
much  used  for  gloves,  moccasins,  pants,  vests,  hunting- 
shirts,  etc.  JSTo  substitute  for  this  early  staple  of  the  west 
has  ever  been  imported  from  England  or  France,  nor  man- 
ufactured in  America,  to  excel  it  in  durability  or  comfort. 
Of  course,  the  business  of  the  "  skin-dresser,"  as  he  was 
sometimes  familiarly  called,  placed  him  upon  ground,  in 
his  day,  similar  to  that  now  occupied  by  respectable  man- 
ufacturers of  woolen  and  cotton  goods. 

That  readers  may  form  some  faint  idea  of  the  personal 
appearance  of  our  hero,  let  them  suppose  a  man  about  five 
feet  six  or  seven  inches  high,  of  rather  slender  form,  with 
a  sallow  complexion,  light  hair,  small  blue  eyes,  prominent 
cheek-bones,  and  pleasant  countenance,  dressed  in  drab- 
colored  clothes,  made  in  the  plain  style  peculiar  to  the 
early  Methodist  preachers,  his  neck  secured  with  a  white 
cravat,  and  his  head  covered  with  a  light-colored  beaver, 
nearly  as  large  as  a  lady's  parasol,  and  they  will  see  Jesse 
"Walker  as  if  spread  out  on  canvas  before  them. 

As  to  his  mental  endowments,  he  was  without  educa- 
tion, except  the  elementary  branches  of  English  imper- 
fectly acquired,  but  favored  with  a  good  share  of  common 
sense,  cultivated  some  by  reading,  but  much  more  by 
practical  intercourse  with  society,  and  enriched  with  a  vast 
fund  of  incidents,  peculiar  to  a  frontier  life,  which  he 
communicated  with  much  ease  and  force.  His  conversa- 
tional talent,  his  tact  in  narrative,  his  spicy  manner,  and 
almost  endless  variety  of  religious  anecdotes,  rendered 
him  an  object  of  attraction  in  social  life.  Unaccustomed 
to  expressing  his  thoughts  on  paper,  he  kept  his  journal 
in  his  mind,  by  which  means  his  memory,  naturally  reten- 
tive, was  much  strengthened,  and  his  resources  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  friends  increased.  He  introduced  himself 
among  strangers  with  much  facility,  and  so  soon  as  they 


B  I  O  G  R  A  P  n  I  C  A  L     SKETCHES.  181 

became  acquainted  with  him,  his  social  habits,  good  tem- 
per, unaffected  simplicity,  and  great  suavity  of  manners, 
for  a  backwoodsman,  made  them  his  fast  friends.  As  a 
pulpit  orator  he  was  certainly  not  above  mediocrity,  if  up 
to  it ;  but  his  zeal  was  ardent,  his  moral  courage  firm,  his 
piety  exemplary,  and  his  perseverance  in  whatever  he 
undertook  was  indefatigable.  Consequently,  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God  upon  his  labors,  he  was  enabled,  in  the  third 
of  a  century,  to  accomplish  incalculable  good  as  a  travel- 
ing preacher. 

My  object,  in  this  article,  is  not  to  write  a  journal  of 
Jesse  Walker's  ministerial  life,  but  to  rescue  from  oblivion 
a  few  incidents  thereof,  which  he  narrated  to  me  as  we 
journeyed  together  on  horseback  to  the  General  confer- 
ence in  Baltimore,  in  1 824,  he  being  then  a  delegate  from 
Missouri  conference,  and  I  a  delegate  from  Kentucky. 
Those  incidents  made  a  strong  impression  upon  my  mind 
as  he  recited  them.  Subsequently,  I  heard  him  repeat 
them  to  others;  and  having  related  them  occasionally 
myself,  I  believe  I  can  write  them  out  substantially  as  he 
told  them.  It  is  possible  that  some  of  those  events,  in 
part,  may  have  been  published  through  other  channels, 
but  I  shall  follow  my  own  recollection  of  them,  as  they 
came  fresh  from  the  original  source. 

It  appears,  from  the  printed  Minutes,  that  Jesse  Walker 
was  admitted  as  a  traveling  preacher  in  the  Western  con- 
ference in  1802,  and  appointed  alone  to  the  Red  river  cir- 
cuit, in  Tennessee,  and  that  the  next  three  years  he  was 
on  Livingston  and  Hartford  circuits,  in  Kentucky.  In 
1806  he  was  appointed  to  Illinois.  The  work  had  no 
designation  on  the  Minutes  but  Illinois.  Of  course,  it 
was  a  mission,  embracing  the  entire  population  of  that 
territory,  and  it  was  under  the  superintendence  of  Rev. 
William  M'Kendree,  afterward  bishop,  but  then  presiding 
elder  of  Cumberland  district.     Between  Kentucky  and  the 

16 


182  MISCELLANY. 

interior  of  Illinois  was  then  a  wilderness,  and  to  reach  the 
mission  was  difficult.  The  enterprising  M'Kendree  deter- 
mined to  accompany  the  missionary  through  the  wilder- 
ness, and  aid  him  in  forming  his  plan  and  commencing  the 
work.  They  put  off  together  on  horseback,  camped  in 
the  wild  woods  every  night,  roasted  their  own  meat,  and 
slept  on  their  saddle-blankets  under  the  open  canopy  of 
heaven.  Their  chief  difficulty  was  in  crossing  the  swollen 
streams.  It  was  a  time  of  much  rain;  the  channels  were 
full  to  overflowing,  and  no  less  than  seven  times  their 
horses  swam  the  rapid  streams  with  their  riders  and  bag- 
gage ;  but  the  passengers,  by  carrying  their  saddle-bags 
on  their  shoulders,  kept  their  Sibles  and  part  of  their 
clothes  above  the  water.  This  was  truly  a  perilous  busi- 
ness. At  night  they  had  opportunity,  not  only  of  drying 
off  and  resting,  but  of  prayer  and  Christian  converse. 
In  due  time  they  reached  their  destination  safely.  Mr. 
M'Kendree  remained  a  few  weeks,  visited  the  principal 
neighborhoods,  aided  in  forming  a  plan  of  appointments 
for  the  mission ;  and  the  new  settlers  received  them  both 
with  much  favor.  After  preaching  near  a  place  called 
Turkey  hill,  a  gentleman  said  to  Mr.  M'Kendree,  "Sir,  I 
am  convinced  there  is  a  divine  influence  in  your  religion ; 
for  though  I  have  resided  here  some  years,  and  have  done 
all  within  my  power  to  gain  the  confidence  and  good-will 
of  my  neighbors,  you  have  already  many  more  friends 
here  than  I  have."  It  is  presumed  that  the  presiding 
elder  went  next  to  Missouri,  to  visit  a  mission  there. 

Jesse  Walker,  though  left  alone  in  his  new  field  of 
labor,  was  not  discouraged.  After  pursuing  the  regular 
plan  of  appointments  till  the  winter  closed  in  severely 
upon  him,  he  suspended  that  plan  from  necessity,  and 
commenced  operating  from  house  to  house,  or,  rather, 
from  cabin  to  cabin,  passing  none  without  calling  and 
delivering  his  Gospel  message.     He  went  by  the  openings 


B  I  O  G  K  A  P  H  I  C  A  L     g  K  j;  X  QHES,  1  63 

of  Providence,  and  took  shelter  for  the  night  wherever  he 
could  obtain  it,  so  as  to  resume  his  labor  early  next  day; 
and  continued  this  course  of  toil  till  the  winter  broke. 
The  result  of  this  movement  was  a  general  revival  with 
the  opening  spring-,  when  the  people  were  able  to  reassem- 
ble, and  he  resumed  his  regular  plan.  Shortly  after  this, 
a  young  preacher  was  sent  to  his  relief;  and  being  thus 
reinforced,  Jesse  determined  to  include,  in  the  plan  of  the 
summer's  campaign,  a  camp  meeting,  which  was  the  more 
proper,  because  the  people  had  no  convenient  place  of 
worship  but  the  shady  forest.  The  site  selected  was  near 
a  beautiful  spring  of  pure  water.  All  friends  of  the  enter- 
prise were  invited  to  meet  upon  the  spot  on  a  certain  day, 
with  axes,  saws,  augers,  hammers,  etc.,  for  the  work  of 
preparation.  The  ground  was  cleared  off  and  dedicated 
by  prayer,  as  a  place  of  public  worship.  Jesse  took  the 
lead  as  boss  of  the  work;  and  tents,  seats,  and  pulpit 
were  all  arranged  before  the  congregation  assembled.  It 
was  the  first  experiment  of  the  kind  in  that  country ;  but 
it  worked  well,  admirably  well.  After  the  public  services 
commenced,  there  was  no  dispute  among  preachers  or 
people  as  to  the  choice  of  pulpit  orators.  The  senior 
preached  and  the  junior  exhorted,  then  the  junior 
preached  and  the  senior  exhorted,  and  so  on  through 
the  meeting  of  several  days  and  nights;  the  intervals 
between  sermons  being  occupied  with  prayer  and  praise. 
They  had  no  need  of  night-guards,  or  even  managers,  to 
keep  order.  The  congregation,  gathered  from  a  sparse 
population,  was  of  course  limited;  no  populous  city  was 
near  to  disgorge  its  rabble  upon  them ;  and  there  was  a 
divine  power  resting  upon  the  people,  which  bore  down  all 
opposition,  and  awed  every  soul  into  reverence.  Early  in 
the  meeting,  a  young  lady  of  influence,  sister-in-law  of 
the  territorial  judge  sent  out  by  the  General  Government, 
was  so  powerfully  converted,  that  her  shouts  of  joy  and 


184:  MISCELLANY. 

triumph  broke  the  silence  of  all  the  surrounding  forest, 
and  sent  a  thrilling  sensation  through  every  heart  in  the 
encampment.  This  example  of  the  power  of  saving  grace 
cheered  on  the  soldiers  of  the  cross,  and  inspired  all  with 
conridence  of  success.  After  operating  till,  as  Jesse 
"Walker  expressed  it,  "the  last  stick  of  timber  was  used 
up" — that  is,  till  the  last  sinner  left  on  the  ground  was 
converted  —  the  meeting  adjourned. 

The  impulse  which  the  work  received  from  that  camp 
meeting  was  such,  that  it  extended  through  most  of  the 
settlements  embraced  in  the  mission,  which  was  constantly 
extending  its  borders  as  the  people  moved  into  the  terri- 
tory. Jesse  visited  one  neighborhood,  near  the  Illinois 
river,  containing  some  sixty  or  seventy  souls.  They  all 
came  to  hear  him,  and  having  preached  three  successive 
days,  he  read  the  General  Rules,  and  proposed  that  as 
many  of  them  as  desired  to  unite  to  serve  God  according 
to  the  Bible,  as  expressed  in  those  rules,  should  come 
forward  and  make  it  known.  The  most  prominent  man 
among  them  rose  to  his  feet  and  said,  "Sir,  I  trust  we 
will  all  unite  with  you  to  serve  God  here;"  then  walked 
forward,  and  all  the  rest  followed.  As  the  result  of  his 
first  year's  experiment  in  Illinois,  two  hundred  and 
eighteen  Church  members  were  reported  in  the  printed 
Minutes. 

Jesse  Walker's  next  field  of  labor  was  Missouri,  which, 
as  may  be  supposed,  was  similar  to  that  of  Illinois.  From 
that  time  forward  he  operated  alternately  in  the  two  terri- 
tories, till  1812,  when  he  was  appointed  presiding  elder  of 
the  Illinois  district,  which,  however,  included  all  the 
ground  then  occupied  both  in  Illinois  and  Missouri.  That 
was  an  ample  field  for  the  exercise  of  all  his  zeal.  The 
old  Western  conference  having  been  divided,  in  1312, 
into  Ohio  and  Tennessee  conferences,  the  Illinois  and  Mis- 
souri work  pertained  to  the  latter.     He  was  continued  on 


BIOGBAPHTOAL     SKETCHES.  1.85 

districts  in  the  two  territories,  till  1819,  when  he  was 
appointed  conference  missionary,  to  form  new  fields  of 
labor  among  the  destitute,  or,  as  they  used  to  say,  "to 
break  up  new  ground  ;"  a  work  to  which  he  was  peculiarly 
adapted,  both  by  nature  and  grace,  and  in  which  he  con- 
tinued to  be  employed  for  many  years. 

In  1820  our  veteran  pioneer  formed  the  purpose,  at 
once  bold  and  benevolent,  of  planting  the  standard  of 
Methodism  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where,  previously, 
Methodist  preachers  had  found  no  rest  for  the  soles  of 
their  feet ;  the  early  inhabitants,  from  Spain  and  France, 
being  utterly  opposed  to  our  Protestant  principles,  and 
especially  to  Methodism.  He  commenced  laying  the  train 
at  conference,  appointed  a  time  to  open  the  campaign  and 
begin  the  siege,  and  engaged  two  young  preachers,  of 
undoubted  zeal  and  courage,  such  as  he  believed  would 
stand  by  him  "to  the  bitter  end,"  to  meet  him  at  a  given 
time  and  place,  and  to  aid  him  in  the  difficult  enterprise. 
Punctual  to  their  engagement,  they  all  met,  and  proceeded 
to  the  city  together.  When  they  reached  St.  Louis,  the 
territorial  legislature  was  there  in  session ;  and  every  pub- 
lic place  appeared  to  be  full.  The  missionaries  preferred 
private  lodgings,  but  could  obtain  none.  When  they 
announced  their  profession,  and  the  object  of  their  visit, 
no  one  appeared  to  show  the  slightest  sympathy  with 
them.  Some  laughed  at,  and  others  cursed  them  to  their 
face.  Thus  embarrassed  at  every  point,  they  rode  into 
the  public  square,  and  held  a  consultation  on  their  horses. 
The  prospect  was  gloomy ;  no  open  door  could  be  found ; 
every  avenue  seemed  to  be  closed  against  them.  The 
young  preachers  expressed  strong  doubts  as  to  their  being 
in  the  order  of  Providence.  Their  leader  tried  to  rally 
and  encourage  them,  but  in  vain.  They  thought  the  Lord 
had  no  work  there  for  them  to  do,  or  there  would  be  some 
way  to  get  to  it.     Instead  of  a  kind  reception,  such  as 


18G  MISCELLAHI. 

they  had  been  accustomed  to  elsewhere,  they  were  not 
only  denied  all  courtesy,  but  turned  off,  at  every  point, 
with  insult.  As  might  be  expected,  under  these  circum- 
stances, they  thought  it  best  to  return  whence  they  came 
immediately;  and  though  their  elder  brother  entreated 
them  not  to  leave  him,  they  deliberately  brushed  off  the 
dust  of  their  feet,  for  a  testimony  against  the  wicked  city, 
as  the  Savior  had  directed  his  disciples  to  do  in  similar 
cases,  and,  taking  leave  of  father  Walker,  rode  off,  and 
left  him  sitting  on  his  horse.  These  were  excellent  young 
ministers,  and,  in  view  of  the  treatment  they  had  met 
with,  no  blame  was  attached  to  them  for  leaving.  Per- 
haps that  hour  brought  with  it  more  of  the  feeling  of 
despondency  to  the  veteran  pioneer  than  he  ever  experi- 
enced in  any  other  hour  of  his  eventful  life ;  and,  stung 
with  disappointment,  he  said,  in  his  haste,  "I  will  go  to 
the  state  of  Mississippi,  and  hunt  up  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel,"  reined  his  horse  in  that  direction,  and 
with  a  sorrowful  heart  rode  off  alone. 

Having  proceeded  about  eighteen  miles,  constantly 
ruminating,  with  anguish  of  spirit,  upon  his  unexpected 
failure,  and  lifting  his  heart  to  God  in  prayer  for  help  and 
direction,  he  came  to  a  halt,  and  entered  into  a  soliloquy 
on  this  wise,  "Was  I  ever  defeated  before  in  this  blessed 
work  ?  Never.  Did  any  one  ever  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  get  confounded  ?  No ;  and,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  I  will  go  back  and  take  St,  Louis."  Then,  reversing 
his  course,  without  seeking  either  rest  or  refreshment  for 
man  or  beast,  he  immediately,  and  with  all  convenient 
haste,  retraced  his  steps  to  the  city,  and,  with  some  diffi- 
culty, obtained  lodging  in  an  indifferent  tavern,  where  he 
paid  at  the  highest  rate  for  every  thing.  Next  morning 
he  commenced  a  survey  of  the  city  and  its  inhabitants;  it 
being  his  first  object  to  ascertain  whether  any  Methodist, 
from  distant  parts,  had  been  attracted  there  by  a  prospect 


BIOGEAPHICAL      SKETCHES.  187 

of  business,  who  might  be  of  service  to  him.  Finally,  he 
heard  of  one  man,  who,  by  rumor,  was  said  to  be  a  Meth- 
odist, and  went  directly  to  his  shop,  inquired  for  him  by 
name,  there  being  several  persons  present,  and  he  was 
pointed  out,  when  the  following  conversation  was  held: 
"Sir,  my  name  is  Walker;  I  am  a  Methodist  preacher; 
and  being  told  that  you  were  a  Methodist,  I  have  taken 
the  liberty  to  call  on  you."  The  man  blushed,  and,  with 
evident  confusion,  called  the  preacher  one  side,  and  said : 
"I  was  a  Methodist  once,  before  I  came  here;  but  finding 
no  brethren  in  St.  Louis,  I  never  reported  myself,  and  do 
not  now  consider  myself  a  member ;  nor  do  I  wish  such  a 
report  to  get  out,  lest  it  injure  me  in  my  business."  The 
missionary,  finding  him  ashamed  of  his  name,  concluded 
he  was  worthless,  and  left  him. 

While  passing  about  the  city,  he  met  with  some  mem- 
bers of  the  territorial  legislature,  who  knew  him,  and  said, 
"Why,  father  Walker,  what  has  brought  you  here?" 
His  answer  was,  "I  have  come  to  take  St.  Louis."  They 
thought  it  a  hopeless  undertaking,  and,  to  convince  him, 
remarked,  that  the  inhabitants  were  mostly  Catholics  and 
infidels,  very  dissipated  and  wicked,  and  there  was  no 
probability  that  a  Methodist  preacher  could  obtain  any 
access  to  them,  and  seriously  advised  him  to  abandon  the 
enterprise,  and  return  to  his  family,  then  residing  in  Illi- 
nois. But  to  all  such  suggestions  and  dissuasions,  Jesse 
returned  one  answer:  "I  have  come,  in  the  name  of 
Christ,  to  take  St.  Louis,  and,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  will 
do  it." 

His  first  public  experiment  was  in  a  temporary  place  of 
worship  occupied  by  a  few  Baptists.  There  were,  how- 
ever, but  few  present.  Nothing  special  occurred,  and  he 
obtained  leave  to  preach  again.  During  the  second  effort 
there  were  strong  indications  of  religious  excitement;  and 
the  Baptists,  fearing  their  craft  was  in  danger,  closed  their 


1SS  MISCELLANY. 

doors  against  him.     He  next  found  a  large  but  unfinished 

dwelling-house,  inquired  for  the  proprietor,  and  succeeded 
in  renting  it,  as  it  was,  for  ten  dollars  a  month.  Passing 
by  the  public  square,  he  saw  some  old  benches  stacked 
away  by  the  end  of  the  court-house,  it  having  been 
recently  refitted  with  new  ones.  These  he  obtained  from 
the  commissioner,  had  them  put  on  a  dray  and  removed  to 
his  hired  house;  borrowed  tools,  and  repaired,  with  his 
own  hands,  such  as  were  broken,  and  fitted  up  his  largest 
room  for  a  place  of  worship.  After  completing  his 
arrangements,  he  commenced  preaching  regularly  twice 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  occasionally  in  the  evenings  between 
the  Sabbaths.  At  the  same  time,  he  gave  notice,  that,  if 
there  were  any  poor  parents  who  wished  their  children 
taught  to  spell  and  read,  he  would  teach  them  five  days 
in  a  week,  without  fee  or  reward ;  and  if  there  were  any 
who  wished  their  servants  to  learn,  he  would  teach  them, 
on  the  same  terms,  in  the  evenings.  In  order  to  be  always 
on  the  spot,  and  to  curtail  his  heavy  expenses,  which  he 
had  no  certain  means  of  meeting,  he  took  up  his  abode 
and  kept  bachelor's  hall  in  his  own  hired  house.  The 
chapel-room  was  soon  filled  with  hearers,  and  the  school 
with  children.  Some  of  the  better  class  of  citizens  insisted 
on  sending  their  children  to  encourage  the  school,  and 
paying  for  the  privilege ;  and  to  accommodate  them,  and 
render  the  school  more  useful,  he  hired  a  young  man, 
more  competent  than  himself,  to  assist  in  teaching.  In 
the  mean  time  he  went  to  visit  his  family,  and  returned 
with  a  horse-load  of  provisions  and  bedding,  determined 
to  remain  there  and  push  the  work  till  something  was 
accomplished.  Yery  soon  a  work  of  grace  commenced, 
first  among  the  colored  people,  then  among  the  poorer 
class  of  whites,  and  gradually  ascended  in  its  course  till 
it  reached  the  more  intelligent  and  influential,  and  the 
prospect  became  truly  encouraging. 


B  I  0  G  B  A  P  HIOAL      SKE  T  CUES.  1  S9 

About  this  time  an  event  transpired,  which  seemed,  at 
first,  to  be  against  the  success  of  his  mission,  but  which 
eventuated  in  its  favor.  The  work  of  death  caused  ihc 
hired  house  to  change  hands;  and  he  was  notified  to 
vacate  it  in  a  short  time.  Immediately,  he  conceived  a 
plan  for  building  a  small  frame  chapel;  and,  without 
knowing  where  the  funds  were  to  come  from,  but  trusting 
in  Providence,  put  the  work  under  contract.  Jesse  was  to 
furnish  the  materials,  and  the  carpenter  to  have  a  given 
sum  for  the  work.  A  citizen  owning  land  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi gave  him  leave  to  take  the  lumber  from  his  forest 
as  a  donation,  and  when  he  started  with  his  choppers  and 
hewers,  followed  them  to  the  boat,  and  had  them  ferried 
over,  from  time  to  time,  at  his  expense.  Soon  the  chapel 
was  raised  and  covered ;  the  ladies  paid  the  expense  of 
building  a  pulpit;  and  the  vestry-men  of  a  small  Episcopal 
church,  then  without  a  minister,  made  him  a  present  of 
their  old  Bible  and  cushion.  They  also  gave  him  their 
slips,  which  he  accepted,  on  condition  of  their  being  free ; 
and  having  unscrewed  the  shutters,  and  laid  them  by,  he 
lost  no  time  in  transferring  the  open  slips  to  his  new 
chapel.  New  friends  came  to  his  relief  in  meeting  his 
contracts ;  the  chapel  was  finished,  and  opened  for  public 
worship,  and  was  well  filled ;  the  revival  received  a  fresh 
impulse;  and,  as  the  result  of  the  first  year's  experiment, 
he  reported  to  conference  a  snug  little  chapel  erected 
and  paid  for,  a  flourishing  school,  and  seventy  Church 
members  in  St.  Louis.  Of  course  he  was  next  year  regu- 
larly appointed  to  that  mission  station,  but  without  any 
missionary  appropriation,  and  considered  it  an  honorable 
appointment.  Thus  "  father  Walker,"  as  everyone  about 
the  city  called  him,  succeeded  in  taking  St.  Louis,  which, 
as  he  expressed  it,  had  been  "the  very  fountain-head  of 
devilism."  Some  idea  of  the  change  there  had  been 
effected   for  the   better,   may  be   inferred   from  the   fact, 


190  MISCELLANY. 

that  Missouri  conference  held  its  session  in  the  city,  Octo- 
ber 24,  1822,  when  our  most  excellent  and  lamented 
brother — William  Beauchamp — was  appointed  successor 
of  the  indefatigable  Walker.  St.  Louis  is  now  a  large 
and  flourishing  city,  well  supplied  with  churches  and  a 
church -going  people. 

Jesse  Walker  was  continued  conference  missionary,  and 
in  1823  began  to  turn  his  special  attention  to  the  Indian 
tribes  up  the  Mississippi.  When  he  reached  their  villages, 
he  learned  that  most  of  them  had  gone  a  great  distance 
to  make  their  fall's  hunt.  Not  a  whit  discouraged  by  this 
disappointment,  he  procured  a  bag  of  corn  and  an  inter- 
preter, and  set  off  in  pursuit  of  them,  crossing  the  Missis- 
sippi in  a  canoe,  and  swimming  his  horse  by  the  side  of  it. 
After  a  difficult  and  wearisome  journey,  they  reached 
one  cluster  of  camps,  on  the  bank  of  a  small  stream,  about 
the  dusk  of  evening.  When  they  first  rode  up,  an  In- 
dian— who  knew  the  interpreter — said,  "Who  is  with  you, 
a  Quaker?"  "No."  "A  minister?"  "Yes."  Word 
was  conveyed  to  the  chief,  a  tall,  dignified  man,  who  came 
out  and  gave  them  a  welcome  reception,  secured  their 
horses,  with  ropes,  to  the  trees,  with  his  own  hands,  and 
then  showed  them  into  his  own  camp,  which  was  a  tempo- 
rary hut,  with  flat  logs  laid  round  inside  for  seats,  and  a 
fire  in  the  center,  and,  in  his  own  Indian  style,  introduced 
them  to  his  wife,  who  received  them  kindly,  and  enter- 
tained them  cheerfully. 

The  chief,  learning  that  his  white  guest  wished  to  hold 
a  talk  with  him  and  his  people,  sent  notice  to  the  neighbor- 
ing camps  of  a  council  to  be  held  in  his  lodge  that  even- 
ing. In  the  mean  time,  the  chief's  wife  prepared  a  repast 
for  the  occasion,  consisting  of  broth,  enriched  with  venison 
and  opossum,  served  up  in  wooden  bowls.  After  the 
council  convened,  and  each  member  was  seated,  with  his 
dog  lying  under  his  knees,  the  chief's  wife  handed  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL      SKETCHES.  1 91 

first  bowl  of  meat  and  broth  to  her  husband,  the  second 
to  the  missionary,  and  then  went  round  according  to  sen- 
iority till  all  were  served.  Each  man  having  picked  his 
bone,  gave  it  to  his  own  dog  to  crack,  which  knew  the  rules 
of  the  council  better  than  to  leave  his  place  behind  his  mas- 
ter's feet  before  the  feast  was  ended.  Next  the  tomahawk 
pipe  of  peace  passed  round,  each  taking  his  whiff  in  turn. 
This  ceremony  over,  the  chief  struck  the  blade  of  the 
instrument  into  the  ground,  and  inquired  what  was  the 
object  of  the  meeting.  Jesse  informed  him  that  he  had 
come  a  long  journey  to  bring  them  the  book  which  the 
Great  Spirit  had  sent  to  all  his  children,  both  white  and 
red,  and  to  ascertain  whether  they  would  allow  him  to 
establish  a  school  among  them,  and  teach  their  children 
to  read  it.  So  saying,  he  handed  a  Bible  to  the  chief, 
who  examined  it  deliberately  and  carefully,  as  a  great 
curiosity,  and  then  passed  it  round  till  every  member  of 
the  council,  in  his  proper  place,  had  done  the  same.  After 
examining  the  Bible,  the  chief  rose  and  replied  as  follows : 
"  The  white  children's  Father  had  given  them  a  book,  and 
they  would  do  well  to  mind  what  it  told  them ;  but  they 
doubted  whether  it  was  intended  for  his  red  children. 
However,  as  some  of  their  older  men  were  absent,  they 
could  not  then  decide  the  matter;  but,  in  a  few  days, 
they  would  hold  a  larger  council,  and  then  give  him  an 
answer."  The  result  of  the  second  council  was  leave  to 
establish  a  mission  school.  Having  settled  this  matter  to 
his  mind,  Jesse  returned  to  make  preparation  for  the  mis- 
sion, and  to  attend  the  General  conference  next  spring,  at 
Baltimore,  leaving  a  pledge  that  he  would  visit  them  next 
summer,  and  commence  operation  in  their  villages.  After 
he  had  proceeded  nearly  a  day's  journey  from  the  camps, 
a  messenger  came  galloping  after  him,  and  said,  "The 
chiefs  have  sent  me  to  tell  you  to  be  sure  to  come  back 
next  summer,"  which  he  again  promised  to  do.    While  od 


192  MISCELLANY. 

his  way  to  Baltimore,  he  called  on  the  Secretary  of  War, 
at  Washington  City,  and  obtained  his  sanction  to  go  on 
with  the  mission. 

Here  his  verbal  narrative  ceased.  The  Minutes  of  the 
Missouri  conference,  for  1824,  contain  this  entry:  "Jesse 
Walker,  missionary  to  the  Missouri  conference,  whose  at- 
tention is  particularly  directed  to  the  Indians  within  the 
bounds  of  said  conference."  But  few  men,  even  of  his 
day,  performed  more  hard  labor,  or  endured  more  priva- 
tions, than  Jesse  Walker,  and  certainly  no  one  performed 
his  part  with  more  cheerfulness  or  perseverance.  While 
his  ashes  quietly  sleep  in  the  north  part  of  Illinois,  bis 
spirit  is  with  Christ  above. 


WILLIAM  B.   CHRISTIE. 

Rev.  William  B.  Christie  was  born  at  Williamsburg, 
Clermont  county,  Ohio,  September  2,  1803.  Of  his  early 
history  but  little  is  known  to  us  of  much  importance  to 
the  public.  He  embraced  religion  and  joined  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  when  a  youth ;  and  so  far  as  we 
are  informed  ever  after  adorned  his  Christian  profession. 
Subsequently  he  was  for  some  time  a  student  at  Augusta 
College,  when  the  Rev.  John  P.  Finley,  of  precious  mem- 
ory, was  president*  of  that  institution,  where  he  made  rapid 
progress  in  his  literary  studies;  and  where  he  laid  the 
foundation  on  which  he,  in  after  life,  erected  a  super- 
structure of  knowledge,  creditable  to  himself  and  useful 
to  his  fellow-men.  Having  commended  himself  to  the 
confidence  of  his  brethren  as  a  member  of  the  Church, 
and  as  an  exhorter,  and  as  one  called  of  God  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  they  licensed  him  to  preach,  and 
recommended  him  to  the  Ohio  conference  for  a  traveling 


BIOGEA  P  II  I  C  A  L      B  K  B  T  CUES. 

preacher.  He  was  admitted  on  trial  in  1825;  received 
into  full  connection,  and  ordained  deacon  in  1827,  and 
graduated  to  the  office  of  elder  in  1829.  In  all  these 
relations  he  was  not  only  acceptable,  but  highly  esteemed 
for  his  work's  sake,  and  also  on  account  of  his  personal 
virtues  and  consistent  piety.  He  was  a  man  of  regular 
habits,  even  temper,  easy  manners,  and  great  self-posses- 
sion ;  and  though  possessed  of  a  high  sense  of  honor,  and 
of  that  dignity  of  character  which  becomes  the  Christian 
minister,  he  was  influenced  by  a  "meek  and  quiet  spirit," 
Which  so  chastened  his  conduct  and  conversation,  that  he 
seldom  had  the  misfortune  to  offend  any  one.  He  has 
been  heard  to  say,  that  naturally  he  was  as  ambitious  as 
Caesar,  but  this  only  prompted  him  as  a  preacher  to  excel 
in  the  acquisition  of  useful  knowledge  and  in  doing  good, 
so  that  he  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his  brethren  generally 
in  the  ministry  and  membership,  and  was  highly  respected 
by  the  entire  community  wherever  he  was  known. 

For  some  years  after  brother  Christie  entered  the  itiner- 
ant ministry,  he  applied  himself  with  uncommon  assiduity 
and  perseverance  to  close,  hard  study,  which,  together 
with  his  abundant  pulpit  labors,  materially  injured  his 
health  and  superinduced  such  bodily  afflictions  as  ever 
after  embarrassed  him  more  or  less  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  ministerial  work.  If,  during  the  latter  years  of  his 
life,  he  studied  less  and  made  less  rapid  progress  in  knowl- 
edge, it  was  because  his  constitution  was  broken  and  his 
mental  labor  thereby  restricted.  His  particular  friends 
need  not  to  be  informed  that  he  was  a  man  of  much  afflic- 
tion; and  when  some  individuals  occasionally  complained 
that  he  commenced  his  public  discourses  in  too  low  a  tone 
of  voice,  they  should  have  known  that  it  was  not  for  want 
al,  but  want  of  physical  strength.  We  trust  that 
young  brethren  in  the  ministry  will  learn  by  the  things 
which  he  suffered,  to  regard  their  health  for  the  good  of 
17 


104:  MISCELLANY. 

the  cause;  and  that  unreasonable  hearers  will  learn  to 
make  some  allowance  for  such  of  them  as  labor  under 
bodily  infirmities,  lest  they  die  in  the  midst  of  their  use- 
fulness. 

Notwithstanding  brother  Christie's  difficulty,  arising 
from  the  want  of  good  health,  he  attained  to  an  eminent 
position  in  the  Church,  and  for  a  series  of  years  filled 
some  of  the  most  important  stations  and  districts  in  the 
Ohio  conference,  acceptably  and  usefully.  Thrice  his 
brethren  elected  him  as  one  of  their  delegates  to  General 
conference,  where  he  filled  his  place  with  dignity  and 
usefulness.  He  was  a  man  of  general  information.  Few 
individuals  of  any  profession  were  more  familiar  with  the 
history  of  our  country,  its  institutions  and  leading  men, 
than  he  was.  His  literary  attainments  were  respectable, 
especially  such  as  were  most  intimately  connected  with  his 
profession  as  a  preacher ;  but  his  greatest  proficiency  was 
in  the  study  of  theology.  He  was  an  acute  theologian, 
an  accomplished  divine.  There  are  but  few  men  in  our 
connection  of  his  age  that  equaled,  and  perhaps  none 
that  surpassed  him,  in  a  critical  knowledge  of  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Gospel,  or  that  can  explain  and  defend  them 
with  more  clearness  and  force  than  he  could.  Rich  in 
figure,  fluent  in  speech,  chaste  in  language,  strong  in 
argument,  and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,  he  seldom  failed 
to  enchain  the  attention  and  affect  the  hearts  of  the  mul- 
titudes that  thronged  his  ministry.  He  could  reason  like 
a  wise  master-builder  on  a  controverted  point  of  doctrine, 
divest  it  of  every  needless  appendage,  present  it  in  its 
proper  form,  and  then  test  its  truth  by  "the  law  and  the 
testimony,"  with  as  much  ease  as  any  other  man  of  my 
acquaintance.  But  his  favorite  topic  was  Christ  crucified. 
It  was  his  delight  to  offer  every  son  and  daughter  of 
Adam  a  present,  full,  and  free  salvation,  through  simple 
faith   in  the  blood  of  Christ.     And  when  he  had  shown 


BICH  195 

the  necessity,  nature,  consistency,  fullness,  and  freeness  of 
the  atonement,  lie  was  nor  satisfied  with  merely  arriving 
ot  triumphant  conclusions  in  the  argument,  but  added 
■fill  appeals  to  the  heart  and  conscience,  urging  the 
people  to  accept  ottered  mercy,  and  secure  everlasting  life. 
Of  course  his  preaching  was  attended  by  the  Spirit  of  all 
grace  to  the  hearts  of  many,  and  was  frequently  followed 
by  salutary  consequences.  Many  sons  and  daughters  in 
the  Gospel,  from  his  different  fields  of  labor,  will  rise  up 
at  the  last  day  and  call  him  blessed. 

Brother  Christie's  acknowledged  ability  to  preach  was 
not  the  only  qualification  he  possessed  for  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  He  was,  for  one  of  his  age,  exceedingly  well 
versed  in  all  questions  of  ecclesiastical  law,  all  rules  of 
discipline  connected  with  the  Church  of  which  he  was  a 
minister,  and  united  becoming  firmness  and  moderation  in 
the  administration  of  it,  so  far  as  it  was  committed  to  his 
hands.  His  mind  was  adapted  to  the  discussion  and  com- 
prehension of  such  subjects ;  and  he  did  not  bury  this 
talent,  but  used  it  diligently  in  accomplishing  the  great 
objects  of  his  ministry.  Taken  altogether,  he  was  justly 
regarded  as  an  able  minister  of  the  New  Testament, 
he  taught  publicly,  was  enforced  by  priyate  exam- 
ple. He  enjoyed  not  only  the  communion  of  saints,  but 
the  fellowship  of  the  Spirit.  The  Lord  sealed  his  ministry 
with  the  conversion  of  souls,  which  are  his  living  epistles 
known  and  read  by  all ;  and  while  he  rests  in  the  grave, 
the  effect  of  his  labor  tells  favorably  on  the  interests  of 
the  Church.  He  lived  a  bright  luminary  in  the  Church 
on  earth;  and,  we  doubt  not,  will  "shine  forth  as  the  sun 
in  the  kingdom  of  his  Father"  forever. 

In  the  morning  of  his  existence,  this  man  of  God,  in 
obedience  to  the  Spirit's  call,  had  devoted  himself,  his 
time  and  talents,  life  and  reputation,  soul  and  body,  to  the 
\vork  of  the  itinerant  ministry ;  but  before  he  reached  the 


196  MISCLLLA^'  Y  . 

meridian  of  life,  Lis  constitution  began  to  give  way,  and 
with  it  his  hope  of  extensive  usefulness.  For  many  years 
his  health  had  been  precarious  and  declining,  and  his 
complicated  diseases  finally  resulted  in  pulmonary  con- 
sumption, with  which  he  died.  His  brethren  and  friends 
saw  that  his  strength  was  failing  two  or  three  years, 
and  rather  encouraged  him  to  desist  from  regular  service, 
and  seek  relief  in  rest  and  retirement ;  but  he  could  not 
feel  reconciled  to  leave  the  work,  and  continued  to  receive 
regular  appointments  from  year  to  year,  and  do  what  he 
could.  And  while  his  extraordinary  resoluteness  induced 
him  to  continue  in  the  field  longer  than  was  expedient, 
zeal  for  the  cause  of  his  Master  frequently  carried  him 
beyond  what  his  strength  would  bear.  Some  months 
later,  however,  he  was  compelled  by  bodily  weakness  to 
desist  from  preaching  entirely.  After  lingering  through 
the  winter,  he  concluded  to  visit  his  friends  in  Cincinnati, 
and  avail  himself  of  such  means  of  recovery  as  could 
there  be  afforded.  When  about  to  leave  Urbana — his 
regular  field  of  labor — the  brethren  kindly  offered  to  con- 
vey him  to  the  city,  but  he  declined  the  favor ;  and  with 
a  courage,  peculiarly  his  own,  drove  the  carriage  which 
conveyed  himself  and  family  to  Cincinnati,  only  about 
eleven  days  previous  to  his  decease.  On  the  way  he  ap- 
peared to  be  revived,  so  that  he  attended  public  service  at 
Ridgeville,  where  he  rested  on  the  Sabbath,  and  heard 
preaching.  But  when  he  reached  Dr.  Wright's,  in  Cin- 
cinnati, on  Tuesday  evening,  he  was  much  prostrated, 
look  his  bed,  and  declined  more  rapidly  than  before. 
The  next  morning  after  he  arrived,  two  of  us  called  to 
see  him ;  his  face  was  flushed  with  fever,  and  his  system 
wasted  almost  to  a  shadow.  He  was  much  affected  at  the 
interview,  and  said  his  nerves  were  shattered,  but  his 
confidence  in  God  was  unshaken :  he  knew  in  whom  he 
had  believed :  he  had  not  preached  an  unknown,  or  unfelt 


BIOC  It  APHICAL     SKETCHES.  197 

Savior,  an  J  the  Gospel  which  he  had  long  preached  to 
others,  was  then  his  consolation.  The  calls  of  his  nu- 
merous friends  so  taied  his  sympathy  and  his  strength, 
thai  his  physicians  found  it  requisite  to  lay  some  restric- 
tion on  them,  or  suffer  him  to  be  much  hastened  in  his 
departure ;  and  with  all  the  care  that  could  be  taken  by 
physicians  and  friends,  he  did  not  last  long. 

Among  the  numerous  incidents  indicating  the  state  of 
his  mind  during  the  last  hours  of  his  earthly  existence, 
I  will  recite  only  a  few. 

Saturday  morning,  a  little  after  midnight,  he  requested 
a  brother  who  was  sitting  with  him,  to  call  Dr.  Wright, 
who  came  in  and  found  him  rapidly  sinking.  He  asked 
brother  C.  if  he  felt  worse  ?  His  reply  was  that  he  had 
great  difficulty  of  breathing.  After  some  means  of  tem- 
porary relief  had  been  administered,  he  asked  the  Doctor, 
"What  does  this  mean?"  In  reply,  the  Doctor  inquired 
if  he  would  like  to  see  some  of  his  friends?  Brother  C. 
then  said,  "Why do  you  ask  the  question?  Do  you  think 
I  am  pretty  near  home?"  On  being  informed  that  he 
was  undoubtedly  worse,  he  looked  round  upon  his  wife 
and  friends,  calm  and  collected,  and  said,  "I  am  not 
alarmed.  I  am  not  afraid  to  die."  Extending  and  look- 
in  >y  at  his  hands,  he  remarked,  "Jesus,  with  his  bleeding 
hands,  will  not  thrust  me  away."  Next,  he  took  his  two 
little  sons,  embraced  and  commended  them  to  God.  Soon 
after  this,  brother  Sehon — having  been  sent  for — entered 
his  room,  to  whom  he  extended  his  hand,  and  with  a 
countenance  bright  with  hope,  said,  "Brother  Sehon,  I 
am  almost  home."  After  exchanging  a  few  words,  he 
requested  brother  S.  to  pray ;  and,  during  the  prayer,  he 
appeared  to  be  perfectly  happy.  This  over,  he  beckoned 
brother  S.  to  his  bed,  and  by  him  sent  the  following  mes- 
sage:  "Tell  my  brethren  at  the  conference,  if  they  think 
my  name  worthy  of  being  mentioned,  that  I  have  not 
17* 


198  M  igCKi  l  a  ;s  y  . 

preached  au  unknown  and  unfeli  Christ.  Tell  them  that 
though  unworthy  and  unfaithful,  that  Gospel  which  I  have 
preached  to  others  now  sustains  me,  Tell  the  preacher? 
to  preach  Christ  and  him  crucified.  Tell  them  my  only 
hope,  my  only  foundation  is  in  the  blood  of  sprinkling. 
Precious  blood  1  0  the  fullness,  the  sweetness,  the  richness 
of  that  fountain  i"  After  praising  God  for  some  time,  he 
turned  his  eyes  on  his  weeping  companion,  and  made 
some  reference  to  his  temporalities,  but  instantly  observed 
they  were  small  matters,  little  things,  assuring  her  that 
God  would  provide  for  her  and  his  little  children.  About 
two  o'clock  I  arrived,  and  found  him  bolstered  up  in  his 
bed,  covered  with  the  sweat  of  death,  and  much  exhausted 
by  the  efforts  he  had  made  to  speak,  as  above  described. 
He,  however,  reached  out  his  hand,  and  said  distinctly, 
"I  am  almost  home.  I  feel  that  God  is  good  to  me,  and 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  my  salvation."  No  question  being- 
asked  him,  and  exhausted,  he  desisted  from  speaking  for 
awhile,  and  then  looking  at  his  distressed  wife,  I  under- 
stood him  to  say,  "Jesus  is  precious."  When  unable  to 
articulate,  he  often  lifted  his  cold  hand  in  token  of  vic- 
tory ;  and  again,  as  though  anxious  to  make  us  understand 
his  meaning,  he  raised  his  hand  high  above  his  head  and 
waved  it  in  triumph.  After  some  time,  he  raised  both  his 
hands  at  once,  and  extended  them  before  him,  as  if  just 
rising  on  "the  wings  of  love  and  arms  of  faith;"  and 
then,  in  an  animating  manner,  brought  his  hands  together, 
triumphing  over  death,  his  last  enemy.  At  that  time,  I 
supposed  he  would  speak  no  more ;  for  when  his  compan- 
ion desired  to  hear  his  voice  once  more  on  earth,  he  could 
only  look  at  her  and  point  his  finger  toward  heaven. 
However,  not  long  before  his  exit,  he  raised  his  hand 
high,  and  brother  S.  asked  him  if  he  wanted  any  thing? 
He  shook  his  head.  Brother  S.  then  asked  him  if  it  was 
powrer  and  glory  ?     His  countenance  brightened  up,  while 


BlOii  R  A  P  II  I  0  A  L     8  K  E  T  C  H  E  9  1  99 

lie  nodded  his  head  affirmatively,  and  his  strength  return- 
ing to  him,  he  shouted  aloud,  clapping  his  hands  and 
giving  glory  to  God.  The  same  peculiarity  of  manner, 
form  of  expression,  and  even  gesture,  which  marked  his 
pulpit  and  altar  performances,  were  strikingly  exhibited  in 
his  closing  scene.  To  the  last,  he  seemed  to  be  conscious 
and  triumphant.  About  seven  o'clock,  Saturday  morning, 
March  26,  1842,  without  a  sigh  or  groan,  his  deathless 
spirit  passed  in  peace  and  triumph  from  earth  to  appear 
before  the  presence  of  God  with  exceeding  joy. 

Most  of  my  early  associates  in  the  ministry,  and  many 
of  my  junior  brethren,  have  disappeared  from  these  scenes 
of  earthly  toil  and  sorrow,  while  I  am  still  lingering  on  the 
stage  of  life.  How  pleasant  to  recall  to  mind  the  names, 
the  religious  conversation,  the  Gospel  labors  of  those 
loved  ones  now  sleeping  in  Jesus ! 

Among  the  departed,  there  are  few,  if  any,  of  whom  I 
think  more  frequently  or  pleasantly,  than  the  lamented 
William  B.  Christie.  My  impressions  of  his  personal 
appearance,  voice,  action,  social  habits,  and  manner  in  the 
pulpit  and  in  the  altar,  are  as  vivid  now  as  when  he  lived, 
mingled,  and  talked  with  us.  His  person,  of  medium 
hight,  was  always  delicate,  but  erect,  and  of  manly  bear- 
ing; head  unusually  large,  and  covered  with  a  beautiful 
suit  of  fine  dark  hair;  eyes  black,  sparkling,  glowing  with 
intelligence,  and  softened  with  benevolence.  In  his  social 
habits,  he  observed  a  proper  medium  between  levity  and 
melancholy;  he  was  cheerful  but  not  trifling,  religious  but 
not  sad.  In  action  he  was  easy,  graceful,  and  dignified, 
and  neat  in  his  apparel ;  but  nothing  in  his  dress  or 
address  indicated  any  hauteur.  He  was,  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  phrase,  a  Christian  gentleman  ;  always  displayed 
independence  and  firmness  in  maintaining  his  own  views 
of  every  important  subject,  but  never  contradicted  any 
one,  or  betrayed  rudeness  of  any  sort. 


200  MISCELLANY. 

As  a  preacher  he  excelled,  greatly,  in  three  particulars; 
namely,  beauty  of  language,  strength  of  argument,  and 
power  of  application.  By  the  first  he  secured  the  atten- 
tion of  all ;  by  the  second  he  convinced  the  judgment, 
pouring  floods  of  light  upon  the  understanding;  and  by 
the  last  he  overpowered  the  feelings  of  his  audience. 
While  his  profound  knowledge  of  theology  and  his  logical 
acumen  deeply  interested  the  most  learned,  his  religious 
ardor  and  fervid  eloquence  arrested  and  led  captive  the 
most  careless,  and  made  the  most  simple-hearted  joyful. 
Perhaps  his  only  fault  in  the  pulpit  was  occasionally 
preaching  a  long  sermon,  which,  however,  was  but  little 
complained  of,  because  his  superior  intellectual  strength, 
and  an  unction  from  the  Holy  One,  enabled  him  to  enchain 
multitudes  to  the  last  moment  of  his  longest  effort.  Nor 
was  he  satisfied  merely  because  many  hearts  were  sub- 
dued under  his  powerful  discourses,  and  retired  with 
tearful  eyes  and  throbbing  bosoms :  he  followed  such  to 
their  homes,  led  them  to  the  altar  of  prayer,  and  pointed 
them  to  the  Savior,  till  he  could  rejoice  over  them  as 
happy  converts  to  Christ.  The  character  given  to  the 
amiable  Barnabas  would,  in  some  degree,  be  applicable  to 
brother  Christie;  "For  he  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  faith :  and  much  people  was  added 
unto  the  Lord." 

It  is  to  be  lamented,  that  such  a  mind  as  his  left  so  few 
traces  of  itself  upon  paper.  He  had  no  ambition  what- 
ever to  figure  as  a  writer ;  otherwise,  it  would  not  now  be 
necessary  to  tell  those  who  never  saw  or  heard  him,  that, 
when  he  died,  "there  was  a  prince  and  a  great  man  fallen 
that  day  in  Israel." 

The  closing  scene  of  his  earthly  pilgrimage  was  all  that 
could  have  been  expected,  or  even  desired  by  his  most 
partial  friends.  Though  I  have  often  seen  happy  Chris- 
tians die,  never  did  I  witness  a  more  signal  victory  than 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  20  L 

that  of  brother  Christie.     It  was  enough  to  inspire  confi- 
dence in  the  most  timid  believer,  and  enable  him  to  sing, 

"When  death  o'er  nature  6hall  prevail, 
And  all  the  powers  of  language  fail, 
Joy  through  niy  swimming  eyes  shall  break, 
And  mean  the  thanks  I  can  not  speak." 

The  immense  concourse  of  people  that  attended  his 
funeral,  at  Wesley  Chapel,  filling  it  to  overflowing,  while 
multitudes  retired  for  want  of  room,  was  ample  proof  of 
the  influence  which  he  had  exerted  in  Cincinnati.  In  that 
assembly  distinguished  individuals  appeared  who  were 
never  seen  in  that  church  before,  nor  since.  All  was 
solemn  as  death,  and  silent  as  the  grave,  except  the  voice 
of  the  minister,  and  the  sighs  of  the  weeping  multitude, 
while  he  attempted  to  draw  a  brief  outline  of  the  Christian 
and  ministerial  character  of  the  deceased,  under  the 
appropriate  motto,  taken  from  Daniel  xii,  3,  "And  they 
that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firma- 
ment ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as  the 
stars  forever  and  ever." 


MRS.  JANE  B.  RUST. 
Mas.  Rust,  my  only  daughter,  was  born  at  Spicewood 
Cottage,  Cabell  county,  Va.,  February  27,  1815,  and  was 
baptized  the  same  year  by  Rev.  David  Young,  of  the  Ohio 
conference.  Her  constitution  was  naturally  feeble,  and 
her  health  delicate  all  her  life;  but  that  did  not  materially 
injure  her  mild  and  amiable  disposition.  Neither  her 
parents  nor  teachers  ever  had  any  difficulty  in  governing 
her.  She  was  as  steady  and  thoughtful  in  childhood  and 
youth  as  most  persons  are  at  mature  age.  The  most 
striking   features   of  her  character  were   meekness    and 


202  MISCELLANY. 

kindness :  the  former  appearing  in  every  thing  pertaining 
to  herself,  and  the  latter  in  whatever  respected  others. 
As  a  member  of  the  family  she  was  always  attentive  to 
her  duties,  and  as  a  student,  to  her  studies.  When  only 
live  years  old,  she  read  fluently  and  gracefully.  She 
learned  her  lessons  with  great  facility,  especially  such  as 
were  committed  to  memory,  and  being  always  diligent  in 
preparing  to  recite  them,  seldom  failed  to  stand  first  in 
her  class ;  but  was  never  known  to  take  any  credit  or 
praise  to  herself  on  that  account.  On  the  contrary,  kind- 
ness to  her  classmates  frequently  led  her  to  extra  exer- 
tions in  learning  the  dullest  and  most  negligent  of  them, 
to  keep  them  out  of  difficulty  with  their  teachers. 

When  Jane  left  Science  Hill  Academy,  at  Shelbyville, 
Kentucky,  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  her  age,  she  had 
acquired  all  the  essential  elements  of  a  sound  and 
useful  education,  and  some  of  the  ornamental  branches, 
and  bid  fair  to  excel  in  literary  attainments.  The  state 
of  her  health,  however,  about  that  time,  rendered  it  neces- 
sary that  she  should  exchange  her  sedentary  habits  and 
mental  exertions  for  an  active  life  in  the  domestic  business 
of  the  family,  then  residing  in  Lebanon,  Ohio.  But  sub- 
sequently, by  reviewing  and  extending  her  studies,  she 
improved  her  education,  so  that,  when  seventeen  years 
old,  she  read  her  French  Bible  nearly  as  well  as  the 
English.  Her  books  were  then  all  the  recreation  from 
domestic  business  that  she  desired.  No  place  was  so 
pleasant  to  her  as  home,  however  humble  its  appearance. 
She  strictly  regarded  the  rules  of  Christian  courtesy 
toward  all  classes  of  society,  which  to  her  was  an  easy 
task,  but  had  no  relish  whatever  for  fashionable  amuse- 
ments or  gay  company.  She  never  wore  a  particle  of 
jewelry  or  any  superfluous  article  of  dress  in  her  life,  but 
always  appeared  plain  and  neat  at  home  and  abroad. 
When  she  made  calls  out  of  the  immediate  circle  of  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  203 

family,  they  were  generally  made  at  the  chamber  of  afflic- 
tion, and  accompanied  with  some  supplies,  or  other  tokens 
of  kindness  toward  the  distressed-  The  Sabbaths  of  her 
youthful  years  were  taken  up  with  her  Bible,  attending 
Church,  and  Sabbath  school,  first  in  the  capacity  of  a 
scholar,  and  subsequently  that  of  a  teacher,  where  she 
was  both  diligent  and  useful,  till  broken  off  by  family 
i    ements. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  she  was  happily  united 
in  marriage  to  Mr.  Joseph  Gr.  Rust,  of  Cincinnati,  who  was 
an  only  child,  bad  been  pious  from  his  youth,  and  whose 
natural  disposition  and  moral  habits  were  congenial  to  her 
own.  She  became  the  mother  of  threo  children,  two  of 
whom  are  still  living.  As  she  had  been  a  most  affection- 
ate and  dutiful  child  to  her  parents,  so  she  proved  herself 
to  be  a  faithful  wife,  and  tender-hearted  but  judicious 
mother. 

Mrs.  Rust  never  abandoned  the  principles  of  her  early 
religious  education.  From  the  time  she  was  first  able  to 
repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer  at  her  mother's  side,  she  never 
omitted  prayer  one  day  during  life.  But  the  form  of 
religion  did  not  satisfy  her  mind.  She  commenced  seek- 
ing a  change  of  heart  very  earnestly,  as  near  as  I  can 
recollect,  in  her  ninth  year,  and  for  seven  years  missed  no 
opportunity  of  going  forward  to  be  prayed  for  when  cir- 
cumstances were  such  as  to  allow  it.  She  became  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  her  four- 
teenth year,  but  did  not  obtain  a  satisfactory  evidence  of 
the  desired  change  of  heart  till  about  two  years  after. 
From  the  time  she  made  a  profession  of  religion,  she 
attended  all  the  means  of  grace  regularly,  but  ever  spoke 
of  her  experience  with  diffidence  and  humility,  regarding 
herself  as  one  of  the  least  and  most  unworthy  of  God's 
children.  Though  her  piety  wras  uniform,  and  her  life 
highly  <  xemplary,  she  never  dealt  much  in  professions  of 


204:  MISCELLAXY 

assurance  till  after  the  commencement  of  her  last  illness 
but  then  her  confidence  in  God  seemed  to  gather  strength 
in  proportion  to  the  increase  of  her  affliction  and  prospect 
of  death. 

Her  health  began,  perceptibly,  to  decline,  in  the  spring 
of  1842.  Much  sympathy  was  felt  for  her  on  the  part  of 
her  family  and  friends  generally,  and  every  possible  pre- 
caution was  taken  to  prevent  disease  from  fixing  itself  on 
her  lungs;  but  in  vain.  Her  health  continued,  regularly, 
to  decline.  The  protracted  illness  and  ultimate  death  of 
her  mother,  and  the  mental  anxiety  consequent  thereon, 
seemed  to  lessen  her  own  prospect  of  recovery ;  for  never 
did  mother  and  daughter  love  more  ardently  and  con- 
stantly than  they  did.  The  language  of  inspired  David, 
respecting  Saul  and  Jonathan,  might  well  be  applied  in 
their  case;  they  "were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 
and  in  their  death  they  were  not  divided." 

Another  circumstance  which  tended  to  weigh  down  her 
spirit,  and  tax  her  sympathies  severely,  was  the  loss  of 
her  interesting  little  son,  Joseph  Guest,  who,  after  suffer- 
ing much  for  four  months,  died  July  31,  1842,  aged  fifteen 
months  and  eight  days.  When  she  returned  from  his 
funeral,  on  the  first  of  August,  she  took  a  severe  chill, 
and  was  subsequently  confined  to  her  bed  most  of  the 
time,  as  she  had  been  partially  for  months  previous. 
These  successive  bereavements,  which  fell  so  heavily  upon 
the  family,  were  too  much  for  her  tender  sensibilities  in  a 
feeble  state  of  health,  and  no  doubt  hastened  her  own 
dissolution. 

The  last  letter  which  my  daughter  ever  wrote  was  dated 
August  26,  1842,  and  addressed  to  myself  at  Delaware, 
Ohio,  and  was  received  during  the  session  of  the  North 
Ohio  conference,  from  which  the  following  is  an  extract: 

"My  hand  shakes  so  that  it  is  with  great  difficulty  I 
can  hold  my  pen.     I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  are  well, 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  205 

and  arc  sustained  under  your  arduous  labors.  I  thank 
you  kindly  for  all  your  letters,  and  especially  for  the  first 
one.  ...  I  have  read  it  many  times  over,  and  still  it 
always  interests  me.  I  have  been  very  deeply  afflicted 
since  you  left  home,  as  you  know.  The  loss  of  our  dear 
little  babe  was  a  great  trial  to  me,  and  for  several  days 
after,  I  felt  as  if  I  could  not  give  him  up ;  but  since  that 
I  feel  a  sweet  resignation  to  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and 
would  not  have  him  back  for  asking." 

When  in  ordinary  health,  she  wrote  an  excellent  hand; 
but  the  trembling  debility  apparent  on  the  face  of  that 
letter  fixed  a  deep  and  painful  impression  on  the  father's 
already  sorrowful  heart,  because  it  indicated  too  clearly 
that  her  feeble  constitution  was  giving  way  under  the 
influence  of  fatal  disease. 

Returning  home  September  12th,  my  worst  fears  were 
fully  confirmed.  I  found  her  prostrated,  and  far  gone  in 
pulmonary  consumption,  but  patient  and  resigned.  She 
said  to  me,  "I  have  never  felt  like  murmuring  during  my 
affliction.  The  Lord  has  been  good  to  me  all  my  life. 
He  blessed  me  wonderfully  at  the  late  camp  meeting.  1 
there  enjoyed  the  preaching  much  as  I  heard  it  while 
lying  in  my  chamber.  And  such  singing  I  never  heard 
before."  In  a  conversation  with  me  a  few  days  after,  she 
remarked,  "I  neither  look  back  nor  forward,  but  live  a 
day  at  a  time.  I  am  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  and  am 
willing  that  he  should  dispose  of  my  case.  If  I  get  better 
I  shall  be  thankful  on  account  of  my  family  ;  but  if  not, 
the  Lord  will  support  me  to  the  end." 

On  the  following  Sabbath  she  was  exceedingly  happy, 
and  rejoiced  aloud,  and  exhorted  her  brother  not  to  be 
discouraged  seeking  religion,  for  he  had  a  kind,  all-suffi- 
cient, and  willing  Savior  to  come  to,  who  was  ever  ready 
to  hear  the  cries  of  the  penitent.  The  next  day  she  told 
her  physician  she  never  expected  to  be  much  better,  but 
18 


206  MISCELLANY. 

she  was  resigned ;  for  the  Lord  supported  her.  She  said 
it  would  be  a  trial  to  part  with  her  family,  but  she  trusted 
the  Lord  would  give  her  grace  to  resign  them  all  up 
cheerfully  into  his  hands,  and  it  would  be  no  misfortune 
for  her  to  go  to  heaven  at  any  time.  When  I  returned 
from  the  Ohio  conference,  the  first  week  in  October,  I 
found  her  still  failing  under  the  wasting  influence  of 
cough,  chills,  fevers,  and  night  sweats,  and  fully  apprised 
of  her  certain  approach  toward  the  point  of  dissolution, 
but  strong  in  faith,  and  joyful  through  hope  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 

Monday,  17th,  she  said  to  me,  "I  am  determined  to 
trust  in  the  Lord,  come  what  will;  not  that  I  feel  fully 
prepared  for  heaven,  but  God  is  able  to  perfect  that  which 
is  lacking,  and  I  believe  he  will — bless  his  holy  name!" 
As  I  had  to  leave  next  morning  in  the  stage,  at  three 
o'clock,  for  the  Indiana  conference,  I  went  to  her  room,  at 
two  o'clock,  that  I  might  spend  an  hour  with  her.  At  her 
request  I  prayed  with  her  once  more:  she  was  deeply 
affected,  but  rejoiced  in  spirit.  In  my  absence,  the  prop- 
erty of  her  father-in-law  and  husband  was  destroyed  by 
fire ;  and  while  the  fearful  conflagration  shed  a  glare  of 
light  on  her  chamber  window,  she  thanked  God  that  she 
had  a  more  enduring  substance  beyond  the  ravages  of  the 
destructive  element,  "an  inheritance  which  is  incorrupti- 
ble, undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away;"  and  exhorted 
those  near  her  to  lay  up  their  treasure  in  heaven. 

When  I  returned  from  Indiana  on  the  27th,  I  found  hei 
disease  greatly  increased,  and  her  strength  so  much  re- 
duced that  she  was  never  after  able  to  sit  up  any;  but  she 
was  still  patient  and  resigned,  professing  to  feel  assured 
that  the  Lord  cared  for  her,  and  that  he  could  and  would 
sustain  her.  When  her  affliction  was  extremely  painful, 
she  was  willing  to  suffer  all  the  will  of  God,  and  would 
not  dare  to  ask  her  sufferings  less,  and  prayed  only  for 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  207 

to  endure,  and  grace  to  support  her  under  them; 
and  when  they  were  mitigated,  she  would  express  much 
gratitude  to  her  heavenly  Father  for  a  little  relief. 

The  first  week  in  November  she  finished  the  distribution 
of  some  small  presents  among  us,  which  we  will  ever 
regard  sacredly  as  mementos  of  her  affection.  In  this 
affair  we  were  struck  with  the  appropriateness  of  the 
selection  for  her  children.  To  her  little  daughter  she 
presented  a  small  Polyglot  Bible,  which  she  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  reading  from  the  days  of  her  youth ;  and  to 
her  little  son,  the  younger  of  the  two,  she  gave  the  pocket 
Testament,  handsomely  bound  in  morocco,  with  a  tuck, 
which  she  had  received  as  a  gift  from  her  father  when  she 
was  a  child,  still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  These 
presents  were  attended  with  suitable  advice  to  the  children. 
May  they  be  thereby  influenced  to  follow  their  mother  as 
she  followed  Christ ! 

Sabbath  afternoon,  November  13,  when  I  returned  from 
Church,  she  said  to  me,  "Pa,  this  has  been  a  blessed 
Sabbath  to  me ;  I  have  enjoyed  a  sweet  foretaste  of  that 
Sabbath  which  never  ends.  I  was  in  a  struggle  all  night 
and  ail  morning  for  a  blessing,  and  got  rather  discouraged, 
but  it  occurred  to  me,  the  Lord  could  bless  me  here  on  a 
sick  bed  as  well  as  if  I  was  m  the  church:  I  prayed  earn- 
estly, and  he  did  bless  me  in  a  wonderful  manner.  I  never 
felt  so  happy  in  all  my  life.  I  felt  that  I  could  endure  all 
my  sufferings  cheerfully,  and  that  I  should  be  a  conqueror 
in  death,  through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  I  used  to  feel 
so  unworthy  I  scarcely  dared  to  call  myself  a  follower  of 
Christ,  but  he  has  forgiven  me  all,  and  I  think  I  shall 
never  again  be  tempted  to  distrust  him.  He  will  support 
me  to  the  end." 

Thursday,  17th,  being  just  six  months  from  the  day  her 
mother  died,  she  made  this  remark  to  me  in  the  evening: 
"Pa,  I  have  been  thinking,  to-day,  what  a  happy  meeting 


208  MISCELLANY. 

I  should  soon  have  with  Ma,  where  we  shall  range  the 
blest  fields  together,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  river  shout 
halleluiah  forever  and  ever.  O  what  a  blessed  thing  to 
be  free  from  all  suffering  and  sorrow!  and,  best  of  all,  to 
see  Jesus  as  he  is,  and  praise  him  as  we  ought!" 

Wednesday,  23d,  she  spoke  of  feeling  discouraged, 
lest,  under  affliction  so  severe  and  protracted,  she  might 
become  impatient  and  lose  her  fortitude,  though  we  saw 
no  indication  of  it,  and  if  we  had,  knowing  how  much 
she  endured,  it  would  not  have  surprised  us  at  all ;  but 
next  evening,  while  a  pious  and  favorite  sister  conversed 
and  prayed  with  her,  she  felt  relieved  in  mind,  and  spoke 
to  this  effect :  "I  feel  now  somewhat  encouraged.  Thank 
the  Lord  for  a  little  reviving !  Jesus  is  the  sinner's  friend. 
He  was  made  perfect  through  suffering.  He  has  sup- 
ported me  in  my  affliction,  and  he  can  support  me  to  the 
end.  All  I  ask  is  triumph  in  death,  and  trust  he  will  give 
it  to  me.  I  can  give  up  the  world ;  yea,  and  my  family, 
for  though  they  will  feel  lonely  after  I  leave  them,  the 
Lord  can  provide  for  and  comfort  them.  I  should  rejoice 
to  be  released  at  any  moment,  even  this  night,  if  it  is  the 
will  of  God ;  but  I  will  try  to  wait  patiently  his  time,  and 
then  0  the  heaven  of  rest  where  there  is  no  more  suffer- 
ing!" 

The  next  Saturday  evening  she  said  to  us,  "I  rest  in 
the  hands  of  God.  I  should  be  thankful  to  him  if  he 
would  release  me,  but  I  wait  his  time."  She  then  prayed 
most  fervently,  for  some  two  minutes,  sufficiently  loud  to 
be  distinctly  heard  by  all  in  the  room.  In  that  prayer, 
the  blood  of  Christ  was  made  the  sole  ground  of  her  con- 
fidence in  the  mercy  of  God ;  and  the  tenor  of  the  petition 
was  for  full  sanctification,  and  supporting  grace  to  the  end. 

Sabbath  morning,  27th,  there  appeared  to  be  a  general 
inflammation  of  the  interior  of  the  chest,  attended  with 
extreme  pain,  and  such  a  diseased  state  of  the  throat  as 


B  I  O  G  E  A  P  II  I  C  A  L      SKETCHES.  200 

to  prevent  her  receiving-  any  nourishment,  or  even  cold 
water,  and  threatened  speedy  dissolution.  In  this  ex- 
tremity, she  exclaimed,  "Bless  the  Lord!  I  feel  that  I 
have  nothing-  to  fear;  if  I  die  this  day  all  will  be  well 
witib  me,  and  I  can  cheerfully  give  up  my  family  into  his 
hands."  During  the  day  she  said  to  her  mother-in-law, 
"This  is  the  last  Sabbath  I  shall  spend  on  earth,  but  I 
shall  soon  enjoy  a  Sabbath  that  never  ends.  Yes,  mother, 
and  I  am  not  going  to  a  land  of  strangers;"  and  then 
named  many  of  her  departed  friends  whom  she  expected 
to  meet,  including  her  own  mother  and  infant  son.  Most 
of  the  day  she  was  under  the  influence  of  languor  and 
drowsiness ;  but  when  a  particular  friend  called  to  see  her, 
in  the  afternoon,  she  roused  up  a  little,  and  said  to  her, 
"Sweet  heaven,  my  happy  home,  I  shall  soon  be  there." 
A  pleasant  smile  came  over  her  emaciated  countenance ; 
she  raised  her  hand  and  exclaimed,  "Then  I  shall  be 
free !" 

On  Monday,  she  had  several  paroxysms  of  strangula- 
tion, in  which  we  thought  her  in  immediate  danger  of 
dying.  While  we  were  silently  waiting  the  next  paroxysm 
to  come  and  hurry  her  into  eternity,  she  calmly  remarked, 
"I  know  not  that  I  shall  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  speak- 
ing in  my  last  moments,  but  I  wish  it  understood  that  I  am 
perfectly  safe ;  that  God  does  and  will  accept  me,  not  for 
any  worthiness  of  my  own,  but  for  Christ's  sake,  and  will 
save  me  with  an  everlasting  salvation  in  heaven."  She 
then  called  her  husband  to  her,  and  with  many  expres- 
sions of  love  and  gratitude  for  his  uniform  kindness,  and 
especially  for  waiting  on  her  so  faithfully  and  cheerfully 
in  her  sickness,  took  leave  of  him,  adding  her  blessing 
upon  and  commending  him  to  God.  Next  she  called  her 
father,  and  spoke  to  him  in  like  manner.  Then  her 
mother-in-law,  pouring  out  a  full  heart  of  grateful  affec- 
tion upon  her,  and  then  another  sister  whom  she  loved 
18* 


210  MISCELLANY. 

much,  giving  to  each  such  blessings  and  words  of  encour- 
agement as  suited  our  respective  cases.  Amid  the  sobs 
and  tears  of  that  solemn  and  moving  occasion,  the  sufferer 
was  the  only  one  who  appeared  to  be  perfectly  self-pos- 
sessed, requesting  us,  several  times,  not  to  weep  for  her, 
as  we  should  soon  meet  again,  where  all  tears  are  wiped 
away.  She  then  proceeded  to  name  her  little  children, 
and  all  the  absent  members  of  the  two  families,  prayed 
for  and  pronounced  a  blessing  upon  them  severally ;  and 
added,  "Give  my  love  to  all  my  friends,  and  tell  them  I 
am  gone  to  heaven."  Next  she  spoke  of  her  funeral  with 
great  composure  and  deep  humility,  and  said,  "I  wish  no 
display,  only  a  plain  little  funeral  here  at  the  house ;  and 
let  brother  Young  [her  own  pastor]  make  a  few  remarks, 
as  he  may  think  proper."  She  then  subjoined,  "  My  work 
is  done ;  I  have  nothing  more  but  to  wait  the  will  of  God. 
1  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.' "  But  after  a  short  pause, 
she  again  recollected  her  absent  brother,  and  made  his  a 
special  case.  Addressing  herself  to  me,  she  said,  "  Be  sure 
to  send  a  great  deal  of  love  to  my  dear  brother,  and  tell 
him  his  sister  is  gone  to  heaven,  and  hopes  to  meet  him 
there.  Tell  him  I  know  there  is  a  blest  reality  in  religion, 
for  it  has  sustained  me  under  all  my  sufferings,  and  now 
cheers  me  in  death.  I  should  be  glad  to  see  him  once  more 
in  the  flesh,  but  trust  I  shall  see  him  in  a  better  world." 
About  five  o'clock  that  evening  she  passed  through 
another  extreme  paroxysm  of  coughing  and  strangling,  in 
which  we  fully  expected  she  would  expire ;  but  at  last  she 
revived  so  as  to  speak,  and  said,  "Jesus  is  with  me !  Jesus 
is  with  me!  Jesus  is  with  me  !  Death  has  no  sting;  the 
grave  has  no  victory !  I  have  the  victory  through  Jesus 
Christ,  and  I  view  the  grave  as  a  sweet  resting-place  for 
my  body,  while  my  blood-washed  soul  will  rest  in  para- 
dise!"  After  she  was  composed,  she  addressed  her  hus- 
band, of  whose  class  she  was  a  member,  and  said,  "Don't 


BIOGRAPHICAL      SKETCHES.  211 

forget  to  tell  my  classmates  farewell!  and  tell  them, 
though  I  can  not  be  permitted  to  meet  with  them  again  in 
this  world,  I  hope  to  meet  them  all  in  a  better!" 

Her  ill  turns  continued,  at  Irregular  intervals,  through 
that  night  and  the  next  day.  In  an  unusually-severe 
paroxysm,  which  occurred  on  Tuesday  evening,  about 
five  o'clock,  she  appeared  to  be  beyond  all  hope  of  living- 
through  it,  and  the  family  were  called  in  to  witness  her 
departure.  She,  however,  revived  again,  after  a  very 
long  and  painful  struggle ;  and  the  first  words  she  uttered 
were  a  recital  of  the  beautiful  verse, 

"  Yonder 's  my  house  and  portion  fair, 
My  treasure  and  my  heart  are  there, 

And  my  abiding  home : 
For  me  my  elder  brethren  stay, 
And  angels  beckon  me  away, 
And  Jesus  bids  me  come." 

The  longest  and  hardest  struggle  of  the  kind  occurred 
the  same  evening,  at  half-past  six  o'clock,  and  continued 
till  we  really  believed  her  spirit  was  in  the  act  of  depart- 
ing, insomuch  that,  when  she  finally  recovered,  it  appeared 
similar  to  a  resurrection  from  the  dead.  If  it  were  in  my 
power  to  give  the  reader  a  just  idea  of  that  agonizing  and 
heart-rending  scene,  I  would  not  inflict  it  upon  him ;  and 
if  it  were  practicable,  would  obliterate  the  recollection  of 
it  from  my  own  mind.  At  the  commencement  of  each 
of  these  attacks,  she  expected  her  release,  and  with  much 
apparent  reluctance  returned  again  to  life,  praying  most 
earnestly  to  be  set  free.  Indeed,  her  disappointment 
in  not  obtaining  her  final  deliverance  when  expected,  was 
the  most  difficult  thing  to  be  reconciled  to  that  occurred 
during  her  whole  affliction ;  but  grace  wras  afforded  to 
secure  the  victory  even  over  this.  At  one  time  she 
remarked,  "You  thought  I  should  have  got  home  before 
now ;  but  I  feared  the  news  was  too  good  to  be  true. 


112  MISCELLANY. 

However,  I  must  Avait  patiently  the  Lord's  time."  Again 
she  referred  to  the  subject  in  these  words,  "I  will  not 
calculate  as  to  the  time  of  my  departure,  but  wait  the 
days  of  my  appointed  time.  I  would  be  the  Lord's  every 
minute,  living  or  dying." 

The  last-named  paroxysm  so  prostrated  her  strength, 
and  was  followed  by  such  languor,  that  she  was  never 
after  able  to  hold  a  regular  conversation,  though  she  lin- 
gered till  next  morning,  Wednesday,  November  30th,  at  a 
quarter  past  eight  o'clock,  speaking  a  few  words  occasion- 
ally of  her  friends  and  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and  fre- 
quently repeating  the  prayer,  "Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 
spirit!"  but  the  bitterness  of  death  was  passed.  Though 
she  had  suffered  long  and  much,  God,  in  great  mercy, 
granted  her  oft-repeated  request  at  last,  for  a  quick  and 
easy  passage  over  the  Jordan  of  death.  Less  than  two 
minutes  before  her  exit,  she  spoke  rationally  and  dis- 
tinctly; and  then,  without  a  single  groan,  or  any  distor- 
tion of  the  features,  or  any  struggle  whatever,  calmly  and 
sweetly  slept  in  Jesus. 


BISHOP  ROBERTS. 

The  late  Bishop  Roberts  was  a  man  whose  memory 
deserves  to  be  perpetuated:  "the  righteous  shall  be  in 
everlasting  remembrance."  That  he  bore  the  infirmities 
of  fallen  human  nature  is  admitted ;  and  with  all  my  con- 
fessed partiality  for  his  character,  it  is  not  pretended  that 
he  had  no  faults ;  but  I  am  safe  in  saying,  they  were  as 
few  and  harmless  as  those  of  any  other  minister  of  Christ 
with  whose  acquaintance  I  have  ever  been  favored.  For 
more  than  fifty  years  he  was  a  consistent  professor  of 
religion,  during  which  time  he  exerted  an  extensive  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL     S£  JS  T  0  HES.  21iJ 

salutary  influence,  by  precept  and  example,  in  favor  of 
experimental  and  practical  godliness.  His  name  is  still 
precious  in  the  memory  of  many  who  knew  his  various 
personal  excellences,  and  the  value  of  his  protracted  public 
service  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel;  so  that  he  being  dead 
vrt  speaketh. 

In  contemplating  the  history  of  his  life,  one  is  forcibly 
reminded  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God  in  the  se- 
lection and  training  of  human  instruments  to  execute  the 
benevolent  purposes  of  his  providence  and  grace.  Con- 
sidering the  age  and  country  in  which  he  lived,  and  the 
peculiar  work  in  which  he  was  called  to  act  so  distinguished 
a  part,  there  was  not  a  man  in  a  million  that  could  have 
filled  his  place  as  he  filled  it.  The  enterprise  in  which  he 
was  unceasingly  engaged  for  more  than  forty  years  was, 
"to  spread  Scripture  holiness  over  these  lands."  The 
means  employed  to  accomplish  that  object  were  various, 
such  as  circulating  Bibles  and  religious  works;  but  the 
most  prominent  of  means  in  that  labor  of  love  was  the 
Christian  ministry  of  itinerants,  interchanging  pastors, 
acting  on  aggressive  missionary  principles,  who,  instead 
of  waiting  to  be  called  by  the  people,  went  out  into  the 
highways  of  sin,  and  called  the  people  to  repentance, 
faith,  and  Gospel  obedience,  with  a  confidence  and  force 
of  authority  that  almost  compelled  them  to  come  to  the 
Gospel  supper.  This  work,  of  course,  subjected  Method- 
ist ministers  in  early  times  to  much  toil  and  peril,  much 
privation  and  hardship,  not  only  in  following  the  emigrant 
to  his  retreat  in  the  western  wilderness,  without  the  ad- 
vantage of  roads  or  bridges,  or  any  suitable  accommoda- 
tion, but  also  in  carrying  the  Gospel  to  neglected  districts 
in  older  sections  of  the  country,  and  the  suburbs  of  cities, 
to  seek  the  lost,  and  bring  them  to  the  saving  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  For  such  a  work  Bishop  Roberts  and  his 
early  coadjutors  received  a  training  which  was  of  more 


214:  MISCELLANY. 

importance  to  them  than  that  which  could  have  been 
acquired  in  the  shade  of  a  college.  The)r  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  being  hardy  pioneers,  plain,  matter-of-fact, 
common-sense  men,  not  easily  discouraged,  because  they 
knew  their  cause  was  good,  and  especially  because  they 
had  confidence  in  Him  who  had  sent  them  into  all  the 
world  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature,  with  the 
promise  that  he  would  be  with  them  and  bless  his  own 
truth. 

As  to  himself,  Bishop  Roberts  was  the  son  of  a  plain 
farmer  in  very  limited  circumstances,  who  taught  him 
from  childhood  the  wholesome  lessons  of  industry  and 
economy.  His  father's  family  observed  the  simple  modes 
of  life  common  to  people  in  new  countries  the  latter  part  of 
the  last  century.  They  resided  in  Ligonier  Valley,  Penn., 
to  which  place  they  removed  from  Frederick  county,  Md., 
when  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  yet  a  child.  He  had 
no  early  literary  advantages  beyond  those  of  common- 
school  education;  but  his  pious  mother  not  only  taught 
him  religious  duty,  but  excited  in  him  ardent  desires  for 
useful  knowledge;  and  being  naturally  possessed  of  a 
vigorous  mind,  and  apt  to  learn,  he  obtained  a  respectable 
knowTledo-e  of  books,  as  well  as  of  men  and  things  in 
practical  life  generally.  His  habits,  formed  in  clearing 
up  forests  and  cultivating  the  soil,  first  in  Ligonier  and 
subsequently  in  Chenango — a  still  newer  part  of  the 
country — where  he  acquired  the  elements  of  a  pioneer 
and  hunter,  were  of  great  use  to  him  in  after  life.  They 
secured  to  him  a  firm  constitution,  which  evinced  much 
power  of  endurance,  and  such  principles  of  economy  and 
independence,  that  the  real  wants  of  life  with  him  were 
few  and  simple,  wrhile  its  luxuries  were  lost  sight  of,  or 
dispensed  with  altogether  without  serious  inconvenience. 

He  appeared  to  be  piously  disposed  from  his  childhood, 
but  became   decidedly  religious  in  his   fourteenth  year, 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  215 

being  then  Scripturally  converted.  About  the  same  time 
he  was  appointed  by  the  minister  whose  circuit  included 
his  father's  residence,  to  catechise  the  children  of  the 
neighborhood:  such  was  the  confidence  which  his  pastor 
had  in  his  sincerity  and  discretion.  From  that  time  for- 
ward young  Roberts  was  justly  regarded  as  an  example 
for  the  youth  of  the  country  where  he  was  known.  In 
early  life  he  was  strongly  impressed  that  a  dispensation  of 
the  Gospel  would  be  committed  to  him ;  but  his  uncom- 
mon diffidence  and  fearful  sense  of  responsibility,  were 
ample  security  against  any  danger  of  entering  the  ministry 
prematurely.  The  time  which  intervened  between  his  first 
conviction  of  duty  to  preach  and  his  actively  engaging  in 
the  ministry  was  not  lost,  as  he  applied  himself  to  the 
study  of  theology  and  other  necessary  means  of  prepara- 
tion ;  so  that  when  he  began,  his  pulpit  performances  were 
from  the  first  both  popular  and  useful.  He  possessed  by 
nature  the  elements  of  an  orator — an  imposing  person,  a 
clear,  methodical  mind,  a  ready  utterance,  a  full-toned, 
melodious  voice ;  and  when  to  all  these  were  added  an 
ardent  love  of  souls  and  an  unction  from  heaven,  he,  of 
course,  became  a  powerful  preacher.  He  did  not  aim, 
however,  at  display,  but  at  usefulness;  and,  therefore, 
commanded  the  more  respect  and  confidence  as  an  able 
minister  of  the  New  Testament. 

The  first  years  of  his  ministry  were  spent  on  circuits  in 
the  west;  but  his  worth  became  known  to  the  Church, 
and  he  was  removed  to  the  eastern  cities,  where  he  soon 
acquired  a  reputation  which  rendered  his  name  familiar 
to  thousands  who  had  never  seen  him.  After  filling  his 
regular  terms  of  service  in  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  he 
was  appointed  presiding  elder  on  Schuylkill  district,  em- 
bracing the  latter  city,  which  brought  him  into  constant 
intercourse  with  numerous  ministers  and  their  congrega- 
tions on  popular  occasions,  thus  affording  him  a  broad 


216  MISCELLANY. 

surface  over  which  to  exert  his  salutary  influence.  At 
the  next  session  of  the  Philadelphia  conference,  there 
being  no  bishop  present,  the  rule  required  the  conference 
to  elect  by  ballot  a  President  pro  tempore  from  among  the 
presiding  elders ;  and  though  the  youngest  of  the  board, 
he  was  chosen.  While  performing  the  duties  of  President, 
delegates  from  the  northern  conferences,  on  their  way  to 
General  conference  in  Baltimore,  called  in;  and,  after 
witnessing  the  dignity,  discretion,  and  promptness  with 
which  he  presided,  they  concurred  with  the  delegates  of 
his  own  conference,  that  he  was  one  of  the  men  they 
needed  in  the  Episcopal  office;  and  he  was  accordingly 
elected  and  set  apart  for  that  responsible  work,  in  May, 
1816.  Thus,  in  about  sixteen  years,  he  rose  from  the 
obscurity  of  a  western  circuit  preacher,  on  trial,  to  the 
highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  General  conference,  and 
became  one  of  the  joint  general  superintendents  of  the 
whole  connection  throughout  the  United  States  and  terri- 
tories. In  this  office  of  high  trust  and  hard  labor  he 
continued  twenty-seven  years — then  ceased  at  once  to 
work  and  live. 

During  his  superintendency,  he  peregrinated  the  entire 
country,  from  Michigan  to  Florida,  and  from  Maine  to 
Louisiana,  and  even  the  Indian  countries  west  of  Missouri 
and  Arkansas ;  and  though  unwieldy  in  person,  most  of 
his  journeying  was  performed  on  horseback,  as  very  little 
of  it  could  then  be  accomplished  by  any  other  mode  of 
conveyance.  The  last  twenty-four  years  of  his  life  he 
hailed  from  South  Indiana,  a  tolerably-central  position  to 
the  whole  field.  From  that  point  he  diverged  in  all  direc- 
tions, "every- where  preaching  the  word,"  and  superintend- 
ing the  general  work.  In  the  performance  of  his  official 
duties  he  seemed  to  take  no  account  of  toil  or  fatigue, 
poverty  or  hunger,  suffering  or  peril ;  always  patient  and 
pleasant,  he  moved  as  a  burning  and  shining  light  amid 


EIOGHAPniCAL     SKETCHES.  217 

thousands  of  ministers  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
Church  members  in  the  spirit  of  a  true  evangelist,  re- 
garded by  all  as  an  affectionate  father  in  Christ,  and  a 
-wise  ruler  in  the  Churches.  Among  his  official  duties 
were,  presiding  in  the  conferences,  ordaining  deacons  and 
elders,  arranging  districts  and  circuits,  and,  last,  though 
not  least,  stationing  the  effective  traveling  ministers,  than 
which  nothing  requires  more  care,  more  discretion,  or 
more  independence;  and  yet  it  is  believed  that  no  one 
ever  performed  those  various  and  responsible  duties  with 
more  judgment  and  propriety,  or  less  censure,  than  did 
Bishop  Roberts. 

In  person  he  was  not  above  ordinary  hight,  but  broad 
set,  and  of  corpulent  habit ;  so  that  in  the  full  vigor  of 
life,  his  weight  was  probably  not  far  from  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  The  features  of  his  face  were  large 
and  manly  rather  than  elegant,  and  its  general  expression 
was  frank  and  agreeable.  That  his  commanding  person 
and  forcible  utterance  were  of  service  to  him  as  a  presid- 
ing officer,  must  be  admitted;  yet  he  possessed  other 
qualifications  still  more  essential.  His  well-developed 
faculty  of  common  sense,  tempered  by  mildness  of  dispo- 
sition, and  uniformly  regulated  in  its  exercise  by  Christian 
courtesy,  gave  him  uncommon  influence  over  deliberative 
bodies.  He  was  not  careful  about  technical  niceties;  his 
usual  manner  in  the  chair,  as  well  as  out  of  it,  indicated 
more  of  the  patriarch  than  the  prelate,  more  of  the  frater- 
nal friend  than  of  the  officer.  Still  he  never  failed  to  mag- 
nify his  office  when  it  became  necessary  to  maintain  order. 
In  several  instances,  when  the  members  of  conference  were 
strongly  excited,  and  the  floods  of  passion  began  to  lift 
up  themselves,  he  has  been  known  to  assume  as  much 
authority  as  would  suffice  to  command  a  British  war-ship 
engaged  in  battle,  till  order  was  restored,  and  then  to 
ease  the  conference  off  from  its  agitation  by  a  few  gentle 

19 


218  MISCELLANY. 

remarks,  illustrated  by  reciting  an  amusing  incident,  so  as 
to  turn  all  into  pleasantry  in  a  few  moments. 

His  manners  were  unexceptionable,  combining  the  ease 
and  gracefulness  of  a  finished  gentleman  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  a  plain,  Christian  farmer.  He  was  apparently 
as  much  at  ease  while  dining  with  the  Governor,  as  when 
surrounding  the  simple  board  of  his  pious  friends  in  a  log- 
cabin.  The  Christian  simplicity  which  pervaded  his  early 
home,  was  never  corrupted  by  ecclesiastical  honors.  In 
1837  the  writer,  then  the  junior  colleague  of  Bishop  Rob- 
erts, had  the  pleasure  of  sojourning  a  few  days  at  his 
unpretending  residence  in  Indiana,  where,  free  from  all 
needless  ceremonies,  I  enjoyed  the  substantiate  of  life, 
served  up  by  the  hands  of  his  consort,  and  mingled  with 
much  social  pleasure.  Indeed,  the  intellectual  repast 
furnished  by  his  godly  conversation,  spiced  with  numer- 
ous incidents  connected  with  the  introduction  and  progress 
of  Methodism  in  this  country,  and  especially  in  the  west, 
would  scarcely  allow  one  to  bestow  a  thought  on  his 
apartments  or  table.  As  a  religious  friend  and  social 
companion,  no  one  excelled  him.  One  thing  observed 
with  approval  was,  whoever  else  was  present  to  enjoy  his 
society,  his  wife  always  shared  in  his  attentions,  never 
failing  to  address  parts  of  his  conversation  to  her.  He 
called  her  Betsy,  and  she  called  him  Robert;  and  thus, 
by  the  plainness  of  their  habitation  and  conversation,  their 
guest  was  frequently  reminded  of  the  history  of  Abraham 
and  Sarah,  dwelling  in  tents  with  the  heirs  of  promise. 
Xow,  certainly,  he  who  could  feel  alike  at  home  in  the 
pulpit  of  an  eastern  city,  and  in  the  open  stand  at  a 
western  camp  meeting,  in  the  chair  of  General  conference, 
deciding  questions  of  order,  and  in  an  Indian's  camp, 
talking  about  Jesus  and  heaven,  and  who  could  render 
himself  both  pleasant  and  useful  to  others  in  each  of  those 
positions,  must  have  been  a  man  combining  in  himself  the 


BIOGB1  V  BICAL      S  K  B  T  C  H  E  S  .  21*J 

most  desirable  elements  of  character.  Such  was  the  case 
of  Bishop  Roberts.  When  his  earthly  pilgrimage  termin- 
ated, what  King  David  said  of  Abner  might  have  been 
truly  applied  to  him,  though  in  a  higher  and  better  sense : 
"Know  ye  not  that  there  is  a  prince  and  a  great  man 
fallen  this  day  in  Israel?"  2  Sam.  iii,  38. 

The  most  prominently-developed  trait  in  his  character, 
however,  was  meekness.     Nothing  is  risked  in  saving  he 

o  Jo 

was  the  most  unpretending  man  I  ever  knew  of  his  im- 
portance in  society.  No  official  authority,  no  personal 
popularity,  ever  induced  him  for  a  moment  to  think  more 
highly  of  himself  than  he  should  have  done.  On  the 
contrary,  all  his  movements  indicated,  without  any  volun- 
tary humility,  that  he  undervalued  his  real  worth.  Every 
one  by  him  was  preferred  to  himself.  He  ever  looked  to 
the  accommodation  of  others,  at  the  expense  of  his  own. 
Nothing  but  grace  imparting  to  him  a  lively  sense  of 
responsibility,  in  view  of  the  claims  of  God  and  souls,  it  is 
believed,  could  ever  have  overcome  his  excessive  modesty 
and  diffidence  in  the  performance  of  his  various  public  du- 
ties. One-fourth  of  the  well-authenticated  incidents  of  his 
life,  bearing  on  this  point  of  his  history,  would  abundantly 
establish  its  truth.  Only  one  need  be  recited.  In  1836, 
when  he  had  been  bishop  twenty  years,  and  was  the  senior 
in  that  office,  he  deliberately,  and  in  good  faith,  tendered 
his  resignation  to  the  General  conference,  simply  because, 
in  his  own  estimate  of  himself,  his  qualifications  for  the 
office,  small  at  best,  would  soon  be  so  diminished  by  the 
infirmities  of  age,  that  he  could  not  be  safely  intrusted 
with  it.  No  member  of  that  vast  body,  however,  enter- 
tained the  same  opinion  of  him  that  he  did  of  himself; 
and,  to  his  great  mortification  and  disappointment,  no  one 
moved  to  accept  his  resignation,  and  he  bore  his  official 
honors  as  a  cross  to  the  end  of  life,  which  was  calm  and 
peaceful.     His  dust  slumbers  beneath  a  plain  monument 


220  MISCELLANY. 

near  the  Indiana  Asbury  University  at  Greencastle,  where 
the  surviving,  but  now  infirm  partner  of  his  earthly  joys 
and  sorrows  still  lingers  on  the  shores  of  time. 


REV.  flOAH  LEVOGS,  D.  D., 

FINANCIAL     SECKETARY     OF  THE    AMERICAN     BIBLE     SOCIETY. 

By  request  of  the  ISTew  York  conference,  at  its  session 
in  Poughkeepsie,  May,  1849,  I  preached  before  that  body 
a  funeral  sermon  on  the  death  of  Dr.  Levings,  which,  by 
subsequent  request  of  the  conference,  was  published  in 
pamphlet  form.  At  the  close  of  that  discourse  I  read  the 
following  sketch: 

Of 'the  early  history  of  this  distinguished  brother  we 
have  no  knowledge.  It  appears,  from  the  official  Minutes, 
that  he  was  received,  as  a  traveling  preacher,  in  the  New 
York  conference  in  the  year  1818,  and  had  been,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  a  traveling  preacher  nearly  thirty-one 
years.  His  ministerial  labors  were  extensive,  and  highly 
appreciated.  With  his  brethren  he  soon  became  a  favor- 
ite. He  was  generally  and  favorably  known  in  the  east. 
Subsequently  his  position  in  General  conference  enabled 
him  to  form  an  acquaintance  with  our  leading  men  in 
most  or  all  of  the  conferences  in  our  extended  connection, 
all  of  whom  became  his  friends.  He  was  also  much 
esteemed  by  other  Churches.  When  Bishop  Janes  was 
elected  general  superintendent,  in  1844,  and,  consequently, 
had  to  resign  his  office  as  Financial  Secretary  of  the 
American  Bible  Society,  Dr.  Levings  was  immediately 
chosen  by  the  Society  as  his  successor,  in  which  office  he 
continued  serving  the  Society  acceptably  till  his  decease. 
In  his  office  as  Bible  Secretary,  he  sustained  the  same 
relation  to  all  the  evangelical  Churches,  and,  indeed,  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCH  221 

all  true  friends  of  that  noble  institution,  the  American 
Bible  Society,  and  its  auxiliaries.  Of  course  his  duties 
called  him  much  from  home,  and  required  very  extensive 
travel ;  but  he  cheerfully  made  the  sacrifice  for  the  cause 
he  loved  so  dearly. 

Dr.  Levings  left  his  home,  in  New  York,  October  11, 
1848,  solemnly  impressed  he  should  return  no  more.  So 
deep  was  that  impression,  as  he  informed  a  friend,  that  he 
rode  to  the  boat  weeping,  and  continued  to  weep  till  he 
felt  embarrassed.  Still  duty  called,  and  he  felt  bound  to 
go.  He  passed  through  Baltimore,  Pittsburg,  and  Cin- 
cinnati, every-where  preaching  the  word.  The  Sabbath 
he  spent  in  Cincinnati  he  j  /cached  at  Morris  Chapel,  in 
the  morning,  the  most  moving  sermon  I  ever  heard  him 
deliver;  and  it  is  believed  the  discourse  he  delivered  in 
Wesley  Chapel  that  evening  will  not  be  soon  forgotten. 
On  Monday  he  left  for  Clarksville,  Tennessee,  the  seat  of 
the  Tennessee  conference,  where  he  arrived  October  26th; 
thence  to  Memphis  conference  at  Aberdeen,  which  place 
he  reached  November  17th,  after  a  most  fatiguing  jour- 
ney. On  the  28th  he  had  a  distressing  attack  of  asthma, 
and  on  the  29th  was  very  ill  with  palpitation  of  the  heart. 
December  4th  he  left  for  Jackson,  Mississippi,  and  arrived 
there  on  the  8th,  after  traveling  over  rough  roads  and 
dismal  swamps ;  thence  to  Vicksburg,  the  seat  of  the 
Mississippi  conference,  where  he  was  indisposed,  took 
medicine,  and  was  cupped ;  but,  notwithstanding  his  fee- 
ble condition,  he  delivered  an  address  the  same  evening, 
and  next  day,  being  Sabbath,  he  preached.  Thus  was  he 
constantlv  en^a^ed — journeying,  addressing  conferences, 
Bible  meetings,  and  public  assemblies.  It  appears,  from 
his  diary,  that  on  his  last  tour  he  preached  eighteen  ser- 
mons, delivered  nine  public  addresses,  and  traveled,  I 
presume,  not  less  than  four  thousand  miles,  partly  in 
stages,  over  difficult  roads.  Such  exertions  and  expo- 
19* 


222  MISCELLANY. 

sures,  amid  the  heavy  rains  of  the  south-west,  during  the 
months  of  November  and  December,  were  too  great  for 
his  enfeebled  constitution  to  endure.  From  Vicksburg  he 
proceeded  to  Natchez,  where  he  preached  his  last  sermon, 
in  the  Presbyterian  church,  probably  on  Sabbath,  Decem- 
ber 24th.  His  entry  on  the  25th  was  in  these  words:  "A 
day  of  great  feebleness  of  body.  Wrote  a  melancholy 
letter  home,  but  wrote  as  I  felt ;  it  will  give  some  pain  to 
my  dear  family."  That  letter  probably  communicated  his 
dying  charge  to  his  now  sorrowful  widow  and  orphan 
sons.  On  the  26th  he  wrote  in  his  day-book,  "Still  weak, 
but  more  cheerful."  Having  despaired  of  accomplishing 
the  balance  of  his  intended  tour  southward,  he  turned  his 
thoughts  toward  home,  and  left  Natchez  December  27th, 
in  the  steamboat  Memphis,  bound  upward,  on  board  of 
which  several  deaths  occurred  by  cholera,  two  the  first 
night  after  he  went  aboard.  His  entry  of  28th  was,  "On 
the  Mississippi,  in  much  feebleness  of  body,  but  in  peace 
of  mind.  Thank  the  Lord,  have  hope  of  seeing  home." 
On  the  29th  he  wrote  thus:  "On  the  river.  One  more 
poor  fellow,  an  Englishman,  found  a  grave  on  the  bank 
last  night."  This  was  his  last  entry,  and,  probably,  the 
last  he  wrote,  except  to  sign  his  last  will  and  testament. 
He  remained  on  that  boat  till  she  reached  Cincinnati,  in 
all  eight  days,  with  declining  health.  The  boat  was  much 
crowded,  had  many  sick,  and  some  dying ;  so  that  a  lone 
stranger,  in  his  prostrated  condition,  and  unable  to  help 
himself,  had  poor  prospect  of  much  comfort  under  such 
circumstances ;  though  we  are  informed  that  some  fellow- 
passengers  rendered  him  what  aid  they  could. 

Dr.  Levings  arrived  in  Cincinnati  on  the  third  of  Jan- 
uary, and  was  conveyed  to  the  residence  of  Mr.  S.  H. 
Burton,  one  of  the  Doctor's  devoted  personal  friends,  with 
whom  he  usually  made  his  home  while  in  the  city,  and 
where  he  received  every  possible  attention,  day  and  night, 


BIOGKAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  223 

from  Mr.  Burton  and  his  family,  from  two  respectable 
physicians,  Drs.  Mendenhall  and  Woodward,  and  from 
our  Bible  agent,  the  Rev.  W.  P.  Strickland,  and  oilier 
brethren,  till  his  sufferings  terminated.  But  neither  kind 
attentions,  medical  skill,  nor  the  prayers  of  his  numerous 
friends,  could  stay  the  work  of  death.  He  expired  Tues- 
day evening,  January  9th,  seventeen  minutes  past  nine 
o'clock,  aged  about  fifty-two  years. 

Though  there  is  sadness  in  the  thought  of  dying  in  a 
strange  city,  far  removed  from  one's  family  and  home, 
yet  in  the  case  before  us  there  is  much  to  relieve  that 
sadness.  Doctor  Levings  complained  of  nothing  much 
but  debility  and  labored  respiration.  Though  he  had 
some  diarrhea,  his  disease  was  chiefly  congestion  of  the 
lungs.  He  suffered  no  extreme  pain,  had  no  convulsive 
agony,  nor  severe  paroxysm  of  any  kind ;  but  gradually 
sunk  away  without  any  struggle,  till  the  weary  wheels  of 
life  stood  still.  He  also  had  communion  with  Christian 
friends,  who  felt  deeply  interested  in  his  welfare,  and 
attended  faithfully  to  his  spiritual  wants.  They  likewise 
cheerfully  aided  him  in  adjusting,  to  his  satisfaction,  all 
temporal  matters  which  rested  with  any  weight  on  his 
mind,  both  as  regarded  his  domestic  affairs  and  his  official 
business,  which  being  done,  his  mind  was  perfectly  at 
rest. 

The  best  of  all,  however,  was,  his  religious  preparation 
for  death  appeared  to  be  complete,  so  that  he  was  per- 
fectly resigned  to  the  will  of  God,  and  cheerfully  yielded 
up  all  into  his  hands.  No  expression  of  dissatisfaction 
with  being  afflicted,  or  separated  from  his  family,  or  dying 
from  home,  escaped  his  lips.  Though  fully  apprised  of 
his  real  condition,  as  understood  by  physicians  and 
friends,  he  remained  cheerful  and  happy  to  the  last  hour, 
patiently  waiting  his  final  release.  His  was  a  triumph 
indeed;    not  of  human  philosophy,   but  of  grace.      As 


224:  M  I  SO  E  L  L  A  N  Y  . 

might  be  expected  of  one  who  had  devoted  most  of  his 
life  to  the  service  of  God,  that  he  would  be  peaceful  and 
happy  in  his  last  hours,  so  it  was,  in  an  eminent  degree, 
with  our  beloved  brother  deceased.  Most  beautifully  and 
thrillingly  did  he  discourse  to  his  friends  of  the  love  of 
God  in  Christ,  of  sustaining  grace,  of  Christian  triumph, 
and  of  bright  and  cheering  hopes  that  animated  him  while 
entering  ''the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death."  Most  of 
the  particulars  of  his  last  hours  were  reported  by  Rev. 
W.  P.  Strickland,  a  brother  who,  being  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  Dr.  Levings,  both  by  official  relation  and  per- 
sonal friendship,  remained  with  him  after  he  reached  the 
city,  day  and  night,  to  the  closing  scene. 

On  Saturday  night  and  Sabbath  morning,  when,  per- 
haps, passing  the  crisis  of  disease,  the  Doctor  experienced 
great  restlessness ;  but  subsequently,  when  informed  that 
his  request  for  the  prayers  of  the  congregations  at  Ninth- 
street  and  Wesley  had  been  attended  to,  and  that  numer- 
ous friends  were  interested  for  him,  he  replied,  "To  that 
I  attribute  my  present  composure  and  peace."  Being 
asked  if  he  realized  strong  faith  in  Christ,  his  answer 
was,  "  0  yes,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  strength  of  my 
heart,  and  my  portion  forever.  I  die  in  no  other  faith 
than  the  faith  of  the  Gospel,  and  that  as  taught  by  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church."  On  one  occasion,  while 
sitting  up  and  leaning  against  the  bed,  Mr.  Burton  placed 
a  large  Bible  to  support  his  head,  that  he  might  breathe 
easily,  when,  fixing  his  eye  on  the  title,  as  printed  on  the 
back  of  the  cover,  he  exclaimed,  "  0  thou  blessed  book, 
thou  lamp  to  my  feet  and  light  to  my  path,  thou  guide  of 
my  youth,  directory  of  my  manhood,  and  support  of  my 
declining  years,  how  cheerless  would  this  world  be  were 
it  not  for  thy  divine  revelations  and  Christian  experience  !" 
At  another  time  he  said,  "Pray  for  me,  my  dear  breth- 
ren, that  I  may  have  strong  faith  for  the  hour  of  trial. 


BIOGRAPHICAL     BE.ETCHK9.  225 

My  religious  states  have  been  adjusted  to  a  life  of  health 
more  than  one  of  sickness,  but  God  my  Redeemer  will 
order  all  things  well."  Soon  after  he  observed,  "I  have 
been  sifting  the  motives  of  my  entire  life  down  to  the 
very  bottom,  and  can  not  discover  any  thing  there  that, 
dying,  I  would  wish  otherwise  ;  but  imperfections,  0  my 
imperfections!  I  have  nothing  whereon  to  rely  but  the 
merits  of  my  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  I  feel  he 
died  for  me."  On  Monday  his  wTill  was  written,  as  dic- 
tated by  himself,  and  after  signing  it  he  exclaimed, 
"Thank  God,  one  foot  is  in  Jordan,  and  I  shall  soon  cross 
over."  Monday  night  his  symptoms  became  worse,  and 
he  continued  to  fail  rapidly  from  that  time  to  the  last 
moment. 

On  Tuesday  afternoon,  about  seven  hours  before  his 
death,  your  speaker,  having  just  returned  from  the  coun- 
try, obtained  an  interview  with  him.  After  receiving  a 
tonic,  which  temporarily  revived  him,  he  said  to  me, 
"Thank  God  that  I  am  permitted  to  see  your  face  in  the 
flesh  once  more !  I  am  not  able  to  converse  much,  but  I 
can  still  say,  Glory  to  God!"  My  first  inquiry  was, 
whether  he  felt  his  way  clear  before  him,  to  which  he 
answered,  "All  clear;  I  have  a  clear  sky."  The  second 
and  last  question  proposed  by  me  was,  "If  I  live  to  meet 
the  New  York  conference  next  spring,  when  your  name  is 
called,  what  shall  I  say  to  the  brethren?"  He  replied, 
with  perfect  self-possession,  and  with  a  serene  and  peace- 
ful countenance,  "Tell  them  I  die  in  Christ;  I  die  in  the 
hope  of  the  Gospel:  tell  them  I  have  a  firm,  unshaken 
confidence  in  the  atoning  sacrifice  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  foundation,  and  only  foundation,  of  my  hope 
of  eternal  life;  and,  relying  on  that  foundation,  all  before 
me  is  light,  and  joyful,  and  glorious."  At  the  close  of  a 
short  prayer  then  offered,  as  we  kneeled  round  his  bed,  that 
he  might  be  favored  with  a  safe  and  easy  passage  to  the 


226  MISCELLANY. 

promised  rest  in  heaven,  he  responded,  "Amen,  amen, 
amen;  glory  to  God!"  Subsequently  lie  conversed  but 
little.  Being-  asked  if  he  wanted  any  thing,  he  replied, 
"The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done!"  When  brother  Strick- 
land asked  him,  in  the  evening,  if  he  wished  to  say  any 
thing  to  him,  he  only  said,  "Live  for  God!"  His  last 
words,  uttered  when  Mr.  Burton's  little  children  came 
in  to  see  him,  before  they  retired  for  the  night,  were, 
"God  bless  the  little  children,  and  make  them  holy!" 
Thus  he  died,  as  Jesus  lived,  blessing  little  children,  and 
thereby  evinced  that  he  retained  the  spirit  of  his  Gospel 
mission  to  the  latest  moment  of  life. 

On  the  morning  of  Thursday,  11th  of  January,  the 
corpse  was  conveyed  into  Wesley  Chapel,  where  a  solemn 
funeral  service  was  performed ;  thence  to  the  public  vault 
of  the  old  Methodist  burying-ground  in  the  city,  attended 
by  his  ministerial  brethren,  Christian  friends,  and  fellow- 
citizens,  where  he  was  deposited  in  safety,  to  await  the 
order  of  his  family.  After  the  arrival  of  his  son,  his 
remains  wrere  interred  in  the  new  Wesleyan  cemetery,  four 
miles  north  of  Cincinnati.  The  body  was  inclosed  in  a 
handsome  coffin,  with  a  silver  breastplate,  on  which  his 
name  was  engraved.  The  Young  Men's  Bible  Society  of 
Cincinnati  have  resolved  to  erect  over  him  a  suitable  mon- 
ument, which  shall  designate  to  his  surviving  friends,  in 
coming  years,  the  last  resting-place  on  earth  of  our 
deceased  brother.  We  name  these  items  for  the  satisfac- 
tion of  his  personal  friends  remote  from  the  scene  of  his 
death. 

Dr.  Levings  was  an  agreeable  man,  of  tine  personal 
appearance,  excellent  social  habits,  superior  conversational 
powers,  and  sterling  moral  worth.  He  possessed  a  vigor- 
ous mind,  wrell  trained  in  the  principles  of  theology  and 
duties  of  the  ministerial  office,  and  a  heart  richly  endued 
with  heavenly  grace.     His  elocution  was  at  once  easy  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL     SKETCHES.  227 

forcible;  his  pulpit  discourses  abounded  with  appropriate 
Scripture  authorities,  and  were  attended  -with  an  unction 
from  the  Holy  One,  rendering  him  an  able  and  successful 
minister  of  the  new  covenant.  As  such,  he  filled  many 
important  positions  in  the  Church,  with  credit  to  himself 
and  usefulness  among  the  people.  He  rests  from  his 
labors,  and  his  works  do  follow  him. 

The  news  of  his  death  spread  a  gloom  over  Cincinnati ; 
how  much  more  over  his  own  adopted  city,  New  York! 
When  the  telegraph  dispatch  announced  the  sad  tidings 
of  his  decease,  who  could  imagine  the  sensation  produced 
in  his  desolated  home ;  in  the  Bible-House,  the  scene  of 
his  late  official  action;  in  the  numerous  churches  where 
he  had  so  impressively  held  forth  the  word  of  life ;  and, 
indeed,  throughout  our  extended  Zion !  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  who  could  conceive  the  joy  which  filled  the  minds 
of  angels,  as  they  witnessed  the  triumph  of  his  faith  over 
the  last  enemy,  or  the  holy  rejoicing  of  "the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect"  in  heaven,  as  the  chariot  of  love 
bore  his  redeemed  spirit  over  the  everlasting  hills,  and 
neared  the  innumerable  company  above ! 

"And  hadst  thou  seen  him  when  the  vail  Avithdrew, 
And  his  blest  spirit  from  its  prison  flew, 
What  scenes  of  glory  burst  upon  his  sight! 
What  sounds  melodious  rang  through  worlds  of  light! 
While  heavenly  friends  throng  thick  the  shining  road, 
And  hail'd  him  welcome  to  the  mount  of  God !" 


COUNTRY  FUNERAL. 
How  impressive  is  a  funeral  in  the  country,  unembar- 
rassed by  haste,  or  needless  ceremony,  affording  full 
opportunity  for  calm  reflection !  In  crowded  cities,  the 
frequency  of  death  measurably  destroys  its  effect  on  the 
minds  of  the  living,  excepting  those  of  intimate  friends; 


228  MISCELLANY. 

but  in  the  country,  the  death  of  a  prominent  individual 
produces  sadness  in  a  whole  community  ;  worldly  business 
is  suspended,  and  the  funeral  becomes  an  occasion  of 
general  interest.  The  assembled  multitude,  the  religious 
service,  the  extended  procession,  the  death-like  silence, 
and  placing  the  mortal  remains  in  their  darkness  and  soli- 
tude, all  leave  a  deep  and  solemn  impression  upon  the 
memory  and  heart  of  those  present.  Such  a  funeral  I 
recently  attended. 

The  immediate  scene  of  solemnity  was  a  beautiful  farm- 
house of  white  brick,  in  cottage  form,  on  the  Lebanon 
pike,  Butler  county,  Ohio,  fifteen  miles  from  Cincinnati. 
The  entire  scenery  was  pleasant  and  airy.  Recently  that 
abode  was  as  cheerful  and  happy,  as  its  exterior  is  tasty 
and  inviting;  but  it  has  been  visited  by  the  pale  horse 
and  his  rider,  leaving  mournful  desolation  in  their  train. 
The  subject  of  the  funeral  was  one  who  had  filled  the 
important  and  endearing  relations  of  wife  and  mother; 
was  ardently  loved  by  her  large  family  and  numerous 
relatives,  and  universally  respected  by  her  neighbors  and 
friends.  The  hospitality  and  cheerfulness  with  which  she 
had,  for  a  long  time,  entertained  the  ministers  of  Christ, 
and  other  religious  friends,  had  greatly  extended  her 
acquaintance  and  influence.  Many  a  toil-worn  itinerant 
had  visited  that  rural  scene  of  loveliness  weary  and 
hungry,  but,  after  enjoying  a  comfortable  repast,  and  a 
season  of  religious  conversation  and  prayer,  left  refreshed 
and  happy.  By  this  and  other  means,  one,  who  regarded 
herself  as  little  and  unknown,  had  contributed  largely  in 
promoting  the  best  of  causes  while  living ;  and  the  testi- 
mony which  she  bore  to  the  power  and  efficacy  of  saving 
grace  in  the  closing  scene  of  her  earthly  existence,  con- 
firmed the  faith  of  many ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  this  brief 
report  of  it  may  strengthen  the  confidence  of  some  who 
never  saw  her. 


BIOGRAPHICAL      SKETCHES.  229 

Mrs.  Anna  Conrey  was  the  daughter  of  a  pious  Baptist 
minister,  Rev.  David  Laman,  who  still  lingers  on  the 
shore  of  time,  and  was  at  her  funeral.  She  was  born 
August  14,  1799,  in  the  neighborhood  of  her  late  resi- 
dence, having  never  resided  in  any  other.  The  state  of 
Ohio,  of  which  she  was  a  native,  was  admitted  into  the 
Union  when  she  was  an  infant.  Of  course,  she  acquired 
that  fortitude  and  energy  of  character  which  the  circum- 
stances of  a  new  country  so  generally  and  fully  develop. 
New  countries  are  generally  settled  by  enterprising  spirits, 
and  the  children  of  those  hardy  pioneers  usually  become 
the  leading  characters  in  Church  and  state,  and  the  most 
useful  members  of  community,  not  because  they  learn 
more  of  books,  but  more  of  practical  life  and  common 
sense,  than  those  of  older  and  more  refined  countries. 

Miss  Laman  was  married  to  Mr. — now  Rev.  —  James 
Conrey,  November  21,  1816,  and  thus  became  the  mistress 
of  a  family  at  a  little  over  seventeen  years  of  age.  The 
Bible  says,  "Lo,  children  are  a  heritage  of  the  Lord!" 
Their  long  and  happy  union  was  crowned  with  nine  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  still  living,  and  three  are  not;  for 
the  Lord  took  them  to  himself  in  early  life,  two  in  infancy, 
and  one  son,  a  youth  of  piety  and  great  promise,  at  six- 
teen years  of  age.  No  doubt  but  those  departed  children, 
and  their  now  departed  mother,  had  a  joyful  meeting  in 
their  heavenly  Father's  house  above.  "Blessed  are  the 
dead  which  die  in  the  Lord." 

Mrs.  Conrey  was  favored  with  religious  parents,  and 
realized  the  benefit  thereof  in  after  life.  In  the  twenty- 
eighth  year  of  her  life,  being  somewhat  afflicted  in  body, 
and  more  so  in  mind,  on  account  of  her  lost  condition, 
some  of  her  relatives  urged  her  husband  to  go  for  a  phy- 
sician, and  he  went;  but,  differing  in  judgment  from  them 
as  to  her  real  condition,  instead  of  brin^in^  the  doctor,  he 
brought  two  Methodist  brethren  to  converse  with  and  pray 

20 


230  M  IS  O  EL  L  ANY. 

for  her;  the  very  kind  of  help  she  most  needed.     AVhile 
they  sang  that  moving  hymn, 

"Awake,  my  soul,  in  joyful  lays,"  etc., 
light,  joy,  and  peace  from  heaven  broke  into  her  disconso- 
late heart,  and  she  was  soon  well  enough  to  leave  her  bed, 
and  resume  domestic  business.  Shortly  afterward,  she 
and  her  husband  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mrs.  C.  possessed  much  stability  of  character, 
as  well  as  amiableness  of  disposition.  Her  piety  was  of 
the  uniform  kind,  giving  a  steady  and  increasing  light, 
which  shone  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.  In  her 
feelings  she  seldom,  if  ever,  rose  so  high,  or  sank  so  low 
as  many  others ;  but  she  was  favored  with  a  firm,  unwa- 
vering confidence  in  God,  attended  with  emotions  deep 
and  abiding,  though  scarcely  ever  with  great  ecstasy. 
Her  professions  of  Christian  experience  were  rational  and 
prudent,  saying  but  little  of  raptures  on  one  hand,  or  of 
trials  on  the  other;  but  walking  in  newness  of  life,  her 
conversation  was  such  as  becometh  the  Gospel.  In  all 
her  domestic  affliction  and  sorrow,  her  religion  sustained 
her,  and  enabled  her  to  comfort  her  family  in  the  day  of 
adversity.  The  testimony  of  her  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Keely, 
in  substance  was,  that,  in  the  numerous  interviews  he  had 
with  her  during  her  various  'seasons  of  affliction  the  past 
year,  she  was  always  calm  and  resigned,  as  one  who 
appeared  to  be  more  under  the  influence  of  principle  and 
settled  confidence,  than  any  excitement  of  passion,  not 
now  elevated,  and  then  depressed  beyond  measure,  but 
uniformly  collected  and  peaceful,  professing  a  firm  trust  in 
Christ,  that  she  would  make  a  safe  crossing  and  joyful 
landing  over  the  Jordan  of  death. 

Her  health  was  much  interrupted,  and  declining  for 
fourteen  months  previous  to  her  decease.  At  different 
times  she  suffered  severely,  and  was,  apparently,  brought 
near  to  the  gate  of  death,  so  near  that  all  her  family  were 


B  I  O  6  R  A  P  II  I  C  A  L     B  K  B  T  0  II  E  S  .  231 

twice  collected  home  to  witness  her  departure;  but  she 
still  survived.  Subsequently,  there  appeared  to  be  some 
improvement  in  her  condition,  and  hope  of  her  recovery 
revived  for  a  time,  but  was  soon  withered.  Her  last 
illness,  in  its  severity,  was  protracted  some  three  weeks, 
during  which  period  she  suffered  much,  suffered  con- 
stantly; her  disease,  most  of  the  time,  being  wholly 
unmanageable.  At  different  periods  it  was  apprehended 
she  was  about  to  depart,  but  temporarily  revived.  On 
Tuesday  her  friends  began  to  lose  all  hope,  and  on  Thurs- 
day death  appeared  to  be  very  nigh,  and  was  expected 
hourly ;  but  she  lingered  till  Sabbath  morning,  November 
26,  1848,  at  three  o'clock,  when  she  left  her  friends  below 
to  join  her  friends  above. 

As  to  her  religious  prospects,  it  was  observed  by  those 
about  her  during  her  last  sickness,  that  she  was  much 
engaged  in  prayer.  To  the  last,  she  felt  great  solicitude 
for  the  welfare  and  salvation  of  her  family,  and  on  the 
Sabb:ith  previous  to  her  death,  held  a  conversation  with 
her  husband  on  that  subject.  That  concern  for  her  family, 
however,  was  nothing  new;  she  was  only  carrying  out  to 
the  end  what  had  been  her  constant  aim  all  the  time. 
The  rule  of  her  Christian  life  was,  to  do  unto  others  as 
she  would  they  should  do  unto  her.  This  rule  she  taught 
her  children,  and  what  she  thus  taught  she  enforced  by 
her  personal  example. 

Amidst  her  protracted  and  painful  affliction,  she  enjoyed 
singing,  and  other  religious  exercises,  in  her  room,  often 
repeating,  herself,  parts  of  hymns,  especially  the  lines, 

"Jesus,  the  name  to  sinners  dear, 
The  name  to  sinners  given; 
It  scatters  all  their  guilty  fear; 
It  turns  their  hell  to  heaven." 

While  Rev.  Z.  Connell  spoke  of  her  peace  being  made 
with    God,    she   said   that    matter   was   all   settled    and 


232  MISCELLANY. 

arranged  long  ago,  and  she  felt  that  her  peace  wa* 
made  with  God.  When  he  reminded  her  that  the 
promises  of  God  to  the  believer  were  exceeding  great 
and  precious,  she  replied  that  she  felt  that  they  were 
verified  in  her.  To  all  her  religious  friends  who  con- 
versed with  her  on  the  subject  of  her  future  prospect,  her 
uniform  testimony  was  expressive  of  firm  trust  and  hope 
in  the  Lord. 

She  frequently  spoke  of  exchanging  her  suffering  body 
for  a  new  body — the  resurrection  body — especially  after  a 
night  of  weariness  and  pain;  but  was  fully  resigned  to 
the  will  of  God,  and  desired  her  family  not  to  grieve  for 
her.  There  were  paroxysms  of  distress,  during  which  she 
could  not  possibly  speak.  In  one  of  these,  on  Tuesday, 
when  she  was  presumed  to  be  entering  upon  her  last 
struggle,  one  of  her  daughters  asked  her  if  she  felt  Jesus 
precious.  She  nodded  an  affirmative  answer  several  times. 
On  Thursday  morning,  when  apparently  near  her  end,  she 
desired  to  see  her  family  alone,  and  they  gathered  round 
her  bed ;  she  spoke  a  few  words  to  each,  and  desired  them 
all  to  meet  her  in  heaven.  Having  finished  her  dying 
counsel,  and  distributed  some  mementos  of  her  affection, 
her  strength  was  much  exhausted;  and  feeling  that  her 
work  was  done,  she  repeated  the  words  of  dying  Simeon, 
"How,  Lord,  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace." 
To  a  friend  she  said,  at  another  time,  "I  am  almost  over 
Jordan,  and  feel  that  I  shall  have  a  safe  landing." 

Her  son,  who  is  a  minister,  said  to  her,  "Mother,  if  you 
must  be  taken  from  us,  you  feel  all  is  well?"  She 
answered,  "0  yes;  all  I  need  is  patience.  If  these  are 
my  dying  words,  I  want  you  all  to  meet  me  in  heaven. 
As  for  you,  my  son,  I  want  you  to  be  a  burning  and  a 
shining  light  on  the  walls  of  Zion.  Don't  let  the  world 
too  much  engross  you."  Again,  on  Thursday  afternoon, 
when  it  was  thought  she  was  just  going,  he  said,  "Mother, 


BIOGEAPHICAL      SKETCHES.  233 

do  you  feel  that  you  have  the  victory  through  the  Sa- 
vior?" She  assented,  and  tried  to  raise  her  hands;  one 
assisted  her  to  do  so,  when  she  waved  her  right  hand  sev- 
eral times  in  token  of  victory.  She  was  perfectly  con- 
scious, and  to  the  last  recognized  her  friends. 

About  twelve  o'clock  Saturday  night,  and  some  three 
hours  before  her  exit,  at  her  OAvn  request,  she  was  re- 
moved from  her  bed  to  an  armed  chair;  and  being 
propped  up  nearly  erect,  she  requested  her  friends  to 
sing  one  of  her  favorite  hymns: 

"I  have  sought  round  the  verdant  earth  for  unfading  joys/'  etc. 
While  they  sang,  she  raised  both  hands,  as  if  triumphing 
over  her  last  enemy,  and  praised  God  in  broken  accents, 
till  her  strength  failed,  and  she  was  replaced  on  her  dying 
pillow.  Some  time  during  the  last  struggle,  her  son  sug- 
gested that  her  end  was  nigh,  and  trusted  she  was  not 
alarmed.  She  said,  "No."  Again,  he  said,  "You  have 
the  same  confidence?"  She  responded,  "Yes."  After 
she  was  unable  to  converse,  her  husband  inquired  if  she 
still  felt  the  Savior  precious? — to  which  she  distinctly 
nodded  assent.  Again,  at  a  later  period,  he  asked,  "Do 
you  still  feel  the  sustaining  grace  of  God?"  and  she  again 
assented  as  before.  Finally,  he  exclaimed,  "Victory  in 
death!"  and  she  returned  the  same  signal.  Among  her 
last  words,  turning  her  eyes  upward,  she  said,  "Who  is 
that?"  Soon  after,  she  distinctly  articulated,  "A  book! 
a  book!" 

When  dying  saints  are  losing  sight  of  this  world,  it  is 
presumed  that  eternity  begins  to  break  upon  their  mental 
vision.  When  Mrs.  C.  exclaimed,  "Who  is  that?"  per- 
haps she  saw  the  pilot-angel  sent  to  convey  her  happy 
spirit  home;  and  when  she  exclaimed,  "A  book!  a 
book!"  who  knows  but  she  saw  the  "Book  of  Life,"  con- 
taining the  names  of  all  the  saints,  and  hers  among  them? 

May  we  all  follow  her. as  she  followed  the  Savior! 
20* 


|5art  tfjiiti. 


NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 


2C  o  t  £  0    of   (ftrcttfe 


ITINEBAKT  WORK    REVIEWED  IN  1839. 

OUR  FATHERS. 

Hitherto  I  have  been  providentially  hindered  from 
attending  any  meeting  of  the  Methodist  Historical  So- 
ciety, but  have  not  been  indifferent  toward  that  noble 
enterprise.  The  work  which  it  proposes  to  accomplish  is 
praiseworthy,  and  I  have  read  its  proceedings  with  much 
pleasure.  Such  an  association  is  the  most  certain  means, 
within  our  reach,  of  keeping  future  generations  correctly 
advised  of  the  character  of  our  fathers  in  the  Gospel,  and 
the  labor  of  love  performed  by  them  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  eighteenth  and  commencement  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, in  this  western  country.  And  what  could  be  more 
interesting  to  our  children  and  children's  children,  after 
we  shall  be  numbered  with  the  dead,  than  a  correct  his- 
tory of  the  introduction  and  spread  of  Methodism,  or, 
what  is  the  same  thing,  Scripture  holiness,  over  these 
western  valleys?  Of  the  commencement  of  this  work,  it 
does  not  become  me,  who  am  of  yesterday,  to  speak.  I 
leave  that  for  a  Burke,  Kobler,  Wilkerson,  Lakin,  Roberts, 
Quinn,  Young,  and  their  cotemporaries  in  the  kingdom 
and  patience  of  Jesus.  And  on  this  part  of  the  subject  I 
will  only  express  the  convictions  of  my  mind  respecting 
the  general  character  of  the  pioneers  of  Methodism  in  the 
United  States  and  territories. 

As  often  as  I  have  referred  to  the  old  Minutes,  read  the 
names  of  our  fathers  in  the  Gospel,  and  traced  out  their 
history  by  the  best  lights  I  had,  so  often  have  I  received 

237 


233  MISCELLANY. 

the  impression,  that  they  were  a  body  of  Methodist 
preachers  vastly  superior  to  those  of  this  generation,  both 
in  the  western  country  and  elsewhere.  In  saying  this,  I 
do  not  mean  to  disparage  our  preachers  of  this  day;  in 
doing  so,  I  should  reproach  myself  also,  for  I  am  one  of 
them ;  nor  will  it  offend  me  if  others  differ  in  judgment ; 
but  I  can  not  obey  the  clearest  conviction  of  my  own 
mind,  in  rendering  honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,  without 
offering  this  tribute  of  respect  to  our  fathers  in  Christ. 
That  there  are  exceptions  is  admitted;  but  in  making  my 
comparison,  I  speak  of  primitive  and  modern  Methodist 
preachers  generally ;  and  I  do  this  not  in  reference  to  any 
one  qualification,  but  to  their  entire  qualifications  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  And  the  fact  here  assumed,  that 
our  fathers  excelled  lis,  may  be  admitted  without  involv- 
ing any  absurdity ;  for  it  is  easily  accounted  for,  in  view 
of  the  work  assigned  them,  and  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  was  performed. 

In  the  first  efforts  to  introduce  and  carry  on  that  work 
of  God  called  Methodism,  such  were  the  prejudices  of  the 
people  against,  and  their  ignorance  of  it,  such  the  opposi- 
tions to  be  encountered  and  obstacles  to  be  overcome  by 
the  teachers  of  it,  that  common  men  were  not  suitable 
instruments  for  its  accomplishment.  The  ordinary  bless- 
ing of  God  on  such  instruments,  would  not  have  rendered 
their  labor  successful ;  it  would  have  required  miracles. 
It  is,  therefore,  reasonable  to  suppose,  that,  under  such 
circumstances,  most  of  those  called  of  God  to  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  were  men  of  more  than  common  moral 
courage,  as  well  as  intellectual  and  physical  strength. 
Dwarfs  and  shadows,  without  force  or  courage,  were  not 
the  heroes  for  field-preaching,  contending  with  mobs  and 
savages,  and  sleeping  in  the  woods  without  guard  or  shel- 
ter. And  who  does  not  know  that  a  large  proportion  of 
the    first  American    Methodist  preachers  were  men,  not 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  239 

only  of  vigorous  and  well-disciplined  minds,  but  likewise 
of  iron  constitutions  and  tremendous  muscular  force  ?  As 
examples  in  the  east,  we  might  refer  to  Joseph  Everett, 
Jesse  Lee,  and  S.  G.  Roszel;  and  in  the  west,  to  V.  Cook, 
John  Page,  R.  R.  Roberts,  and  others. 

It  required  more  religion  to  enable  our  fathers  in  the 
Gospel  to  engage  in  and  prosecute  the  work  assigned 
them,  than  most  of  us  have  in  this  day,  though  not  more 
than  we  might  and  should  possess,  if  we  sought  as  earn- 
estly and  perseveringly  as  they  did.  Time  was  when  to  be 
called  a  Methodist  preacher,  was,  in  the  estimation  of  the 
great  mass  of  the  people,  to  be  virtually  charged  with 
being  every  thing  vile  and  despicable,  and  consequently 
only  worthy  of  insult  and  personal  violence,  which  he  often 
received  in  abundance.  That  was  a  day  that  tried  men's 
souls.  And  in  view  of  the  odium  and  insult,  fatigue  and 
peril,  poverty,  nakedness,  and  starvation,  to  be  expected 
consequent  upon  such  a  calling,  no  one  was  prepared 
to  engage  in  it,  till  he  was  crucified  to  the  world,  and 
the  world  crucified  to  him — till  the  love  of  God  and  man 
filled  his  heart,  and  constrained  him  to  turn  out  into 
the  highways  and  hedges,  and  exhort  sinners  to  come  to 
the  Gospel  supper — and  till  he  had  the  clearest  evidence 
that  God  called  him  to  that  work,  and  pronounced  woe 
upon  him  if  he  preached  not  the  Gospel;  so  that  when 
our  fathers  agreed  to  enter  the  list  of  traveling  preachers, 
they  literally  left  all  to  follow  Christ,  gave  themselves 
wholly  to  the  work  of  saving  their  own  souls  and  the 
souls  of  the  people,  and  consequently  received  and  con- 
tinued to  enjoy  present  and  full  salvation,  and  saw  their 
labors  crowned  with  glorious  success  among  the  people. 

Beside  their  natural  and  spiritual  advantages,  they  were 
prompted,  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  to  more  diligence, 
and  made  greater  improvement  of  their  time  and  talents. 
The  doctrines,  ordinances,  and  usages  of  Methodism  were 


240  MISCELLANY. 

not  then  so  well  understood  as  at  present.  Those  denom- 
inations that  now  compliment  us  with  the  appellative 
evangelical,  treated  our  fathers,  though  more  worthy  than 
we,  as  heretics,  fanatics,  and  impostors,  and  thus  set  the 
dogs  of  the  people  on  them.  Methodism  was  grossly 
misrepresented  in  public  and  private  by  those  of  different 
creeds,  partly  through  ignorance  and  partly  through  mal- 
ice;  while  the  world  and  Satan  directed  their  heaviest 
artillery  against  it,  because  it  waged  a  potent  and  success- 
ful warfare  against  sin.  Methodism  being  thus  assaulted 
on  every  side,  its  first  public  teachers  were  continually 
thrown  on  the  defense  of  truth ;  and  to  answer  all  objec- 
tions, and  stop  the  mouths  of  gainsayers,  excited  them  to 
constant  diligence  in  research  and  reflection  ;  while  daily 
practice  in  public,  and  extemporaneous  speaking,  rendered 
them  more  perfect;  and  knowing  their  cause  was  good, 
they  fearlessly  advocated  it  on  all  occasions.  God  blessed 
them  in  it,  and  they  became  able  ministers  of  the  New 
Testament.  Beside,  they  were  strong  in  faith,  felt  their 
awful  responsibility  as  embassadors  of  Christ,  spoke  as  in 
sight  of  his  judgment-seat,  and  their  word  was  attended 
with  power  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  much  assurance. 

Such  are  briefly  my  views  of  the  character  of  our  early 
ministers,  and  the  cause  of  their  excelling.  What  re- 
mains for  us  but  to  follow  them  as  they  followed  Christ, 
according  to  the  ability  given  us,  that  both  they  who 
sowed,  and  we  that  reap,  may  rejoice  together  forever? 

OUR  TRAVELS. 
Leaving  the  history  of  early  Methodism  in  the  west 
to  those  who  understand  it  better,  I  beg  leave  to  notice 
briefly  a  few  things  of  which  I  have  more  personal  knowl- 
edge. Great  changes  have  appeared  in  our  western  fields 
of  labor,  even  since  I  entered  it  in  the  fall  of  1815,  under 
♦he  direction  of  Rev.  D.  Young,  presiding  elder;  and  such 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  241 

changes,  too,  as  have  some  bearing  on  our  work  as  trav- 
eling preachers.  Among  these  changes  none  are  more 
palpable  than  such  as  relate  to  the  facilities  for  traveling. 
Where  we  used  to  convey  our  salt,  venison,  and  bear  meat 
on  pack-horses,  we  now  see  canal-boats  gliding  along, 
richly  laden  wTith  flour  and  all  the  essentials  of  good  liv- 
ing. Where  we  once  followed  the  dim  path,  guided  by 
the  blazes  on  the  saplings,  made  with  the  woodman's  ax, 
we  now  hear  the  coach  wTheels  gently  rumbling  on  the 
smooth  M'Adamized  turnpike.  In  the  same  place  where 
we  formerly  swam  our  horses  beside  the  little  canoe,  plies 
the  steam  ferry-boat,  crossing  and  recrossing  every  five 
minutes,  crowded  with  passengers ;  and  where  we  used  to 
plunge  in  on  horseback  at  a  venture,  through  flood  and 
bog,  current  and  quicksand,  now  rests  the  arched  bridge 
on  piers  of  granite.  From  these  hints  may  be  inferred 
some  of  the  difficulties  of  traveling  preachers  in  the  west, 
only  twenty  years  ago,  or  even  less  in  some  places. 

In  1825  my  district  embraced  that  part  of  Kentucky 
west  of  the  Tennessee  river,  which  was  then  all  in  one 
circuit,  called  Clarke's  River,  of  which  John  S.  Barger 
was  preacher  in  charge.  We  were  not  the  first  on  that 
ground  after  the  Indians  left.  Brothers  Crouch  and 
Parker  had  been  there  forming  a  circuit  the  year  pre- 
vious; and  if  they  w^ould  speak  out  they  could  relate 
scenes  of  suffering  sufficient  to  cause  the  ears  of  some 
readers  to  tingle.  Still,  when  we  went,  the  settlements 
were  "few  and  far  between,"  and  frequently  without  any 
road,  or  even  path,  from  one  to  the  other.  When  we 
wished  to  visit  a  neighborhood  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
distant,  we  ascertained  as  near  as  we  could  the  general 
course,  and  struck  off  through  the  woods  without  road  or 
guide.  If  the  sun  wras  visible,  we  steered  by  him,  and  if 
not,  by  a  pocket  compass ;  and  if  a  creek — too  deep  to 
ford — obstructed  our  course,  we  had  our  choice  to  swim 


2*2  MISCELLANY. 

or  stay  on  our  own  side,  having  neither  boat,  bridge,  nor 
canoe.  Of  the  manner  of  overcoming  these  obstructions, 
I  will  here  furnish  an  example  or  two. 

At  the  close  of  a  camp  quarterly  meeting  in  Clark's 
River  circuit,  July,  1826,  the  small  streams  were  much 
swollen  by  reason  of  heavy  rains.  Soon  after  leaving  the 
camp,  we  had  to  encounter  a  small  stream,  which  was  usu- 
ally some  three  rods  wide,  but  at  that  time  spread  over 
the  banks  and  much  of  the  adjoining  low  ground.  How- 
ever, we  were  told  that  by  going  to  the  Shallow  Ford 
above  the  forks,  we  could  probably  ride  across  without 
losing  bottom ;  but  where  we  expected  a  shallow  ford,  we 
found  a  sheet  of  water  about  a  hundred  yards  wide,  it 
having  overflowed  its  banks,  with  a  rapid  current  in  the 
middle.  Our  company  consisted  of  Geo.  Richardson, 
John  S.  Barger,  Alexander  H.  Stemmons,  another  young 
preacher,  whose  name  I  have  forgotten,  and  the  writer. 
We  were  all  sound  except  myself.  I  was  sick — had  been 
so  for  five  or  six  days,  and  was  much  more  fit  to  be  in 
bed  than  on  horseback.  In  consequence  of  this  circum- 
stance, the  company  objected  to  my  swimming,  lest  the 
wetting,  after  taking  medicine,  might  prove  injurious. 
But  by  riding  in  mid-sides  to  the  horse,  I  gained  the  large 
end  of  a  great  tree,  which  had  been  cut  down  so  as  to  fall 
across  the  main  channel  just  above  the  ford,  for  a  tempo- 
rary foot  bridge.  Here  they  deposited  me  and  the  bag- 
gage, till  they  should  swim  the  horses  over.  In  the  mean 
time,  others  came  up  from  the  meeting,  forming  a  com- 
pany of  some  fifteen  in  all.  The  coming-out  place  lay 
rather  up  stream  from  us,  and  just  below  it,  we  were  told, 
the  bank,  then  under  water,  was  too  steep  for  the  horses 
to  rise  when  they  should  strike  bottom.  To  avoid  this, 
and  procure  a  sloping  bank  to  rise  on,  they  selected  a 
place  below,  where  the  bluff  changed  sides ;  so  that  after 
riding  in  till  the  horse  was  nearly  covered,  and  arriving 


K  O  T  E  8     OF     T  B  A  V  E  L  .  213 

at  the  main  channel,  lie  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  to 
himself,  though  not  to  his  rider,  stepped  over  a  precipice, 
perhaps  ten  feet  high,  into  a  sweeping  current,  where  horse 
and  rider  were  violently  immcrged,  but  soon  emerged  some 
distance  from  where  they  first  disappeared,  and  presently 
made  safe  landing.  In  this  way  the  young  brethren  con- 
veyed their  own  horses  over,  after  which  Richardson  and 
Stemmons  rode  for  the  whole  company,  securing  one  horse 
and  swimming  back  for  another,  making  several  trips  each. 
This  done,  Richardson  led  me  over  the  channel  on  the  log; 
and  leaving  still  between  us  and  the  dry  ground  a  sheet 
of  water  some  thirty  yards  wide,  and  three  feet  deep,  he 
deliberately  stepped  in,  took  me  upon  his  shoulder,  and, 
notwithstanding  much  brush  and  drift-wood  were  on  the 
way,  placed  me  safely  on  solid  ground.  The  whole  was 
accomplished  in  a  few  minutes.  Here  we  parted  with  all 
but  our  own  company,  with  whom  we  first  started  from 
camp ;  and  leaving  the  Shallow  Ford,  our  way  was  clear 
before  us  to  the  next  branch  of  the  same  stream,*  only 
a  few  miles  distant. 

Our  second  crossing  was  like  to  prove  more  difficult 
than  the  first,  having  an  equally  rapid  stream,  without 
the  advantage  of  any  log.  Having  appointments  ahead, 
it  was  important  to  get  on  somehow  or  other;  and  after  a 
short  consultation,  it  was  thought  best,  on  account  of  my 
condition,  to  head  the  stream,  or  at  least  go  far  enough 
up  to  ford.  This  being  agreed  on,  we  made  the  attempt, 
but  were  so  much  embarrassed  by  quicksand,  especially 
where  the  ground  had  been  overflowed,  that  we  soon 
became  weary  of  it,  and  determined  to  cross  if  possible, 
linding  a  place  where  the  banks  were  dry  on  both  sides, 
the  water  being  there  confined  within  its  usual  channel, 
we  dismounted,  and  were  consulting  about  the  mode  of 

°  I  regret  that  I  have  forgotten  the  name  of  this  creek ;  brother  Barger 
can  tell. 


;M4  MISCELLANY. 

crossing,  when  Stemmons  concluded  it  was  time  to  execute 
as  well  as  plan.  Fixing  his  large,  laughing,  blue  eye  on 
a  tall,  slim  hickory,  growing  on  our  side  of  the  creek,  he 
deliberately  began  to  ascend,  which  he  did  almost  as 
easily  and  rapidly  as  a  wild  bear  would  climb  a  chestnut- 
tree  on  search  of  nuts.  When  he  had  left  the  ground 
about  forty  feet  below  him,  and  arrived  where  the  sapling 
had  scarce  strength  to  support  him,  he  turned  on  the  side 
next  to  the  stream,  held  on  with  his  hands,  letting  his  feet 
swing  clear,  and  his  weight  brought  the  top  down  on  the 
other  side,  and,  writh  the  assistance  of  another,  who  swam 
over  to  his  relief,  tied  the  limbs  fast  to  the  root  of  a  tree. 
This  bent  sapling  formed  an  arched  bridge  about  forty  feet 
long,  six  inches  wide,  and  elevated  in  the  center  about 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  over  the  deepest  of  the  turbid  stream, 
on  which  we  crossed — astride — safely,  pushing  our  bag- 
gage before  us,  and  resumed  our  journey,  leaving  the 
Hickory  Bridge  for  the  accommodation  of  the  public. 

Such  were  our  facilities  for  crossing  in  those  days,  when 
we  had  help;  but  when  alone,  there  was  often  no  alterna- 
tive but  to  make  the  horse  swim  with  his  rider  and  bag- 
gage, and  trust  to  Providence  to  get  safely  through ;  and 
such  were  the  difficulties  to  which  we  were  accustomed  in 
carrying  the  Gospel  to  the  poor,  in  the  new  countries  then ; 
and  the  same  are  doubtless  realized  now  by  many  of  our 
traveling  preachers  on  the  frontiers  of  the  work.  Now, 
for  such  work  as  this,  I  would  rather  have  a  half  a  dozen 
such  young  preachers  as  those  above  named,  than  twenty 
graduates  of  any  theological  seminary  in  the  United  States. 
A.  H.  Stemmons  has  gone  to  his  reward,  and  J.  S.  B.  and 
G.  R.  are  still  in  their  Master's  work,  though  the  latter 
has  been  for  many  years  much  disabled  by  hemorrhage 
from  the  lungs.     Peace  be  with  them ! 


NOTES    OF    TRAVEL.  245 

OUR  CIRCUITS. 
The  reader  has  ample  proof,  in  the  preceding  scraps, 
that  I  do  not  aim  at  regular  chronological  order,  much 
less  at  writing  a  history  of  Methodism  in  the  west.  My 
object  is  only  to  furnish  a  few  scraps  of  information  re- 
specting the  preachers,  and  the  circumstances  under  which 
their  work  was  prosecuted  in  my  day,  illustrated  by  such 
anecdotes,  and  enlivened  by  such  reflections  as  may  seem 
edifying  and  proper. 

The  next  point  I  shall  touch,  is  the  amount  of  labor 
which  we  used  to  perform  as  traveling  preachers  in  the 
west.  When  I  labored  on  Marietta  circuit  with  the  Rev. 
Marcus  Lindsay,  in  1816,  it  was  a  four  weeks  circuit, 
embracing  what  are  now  called  Marietta  circuit,  Athens 
circuit,  and  parts  of  several  others.  It  extended  from 
Newport,  sixteen  miles  above  Marietta,  to  the  west  end  of 
Athens  county,  a  distance  of  some  sixty-five  miles  in  a 
straight  direction,  and  was  so  arranged  as  to  include  the 
neighborhoods  on  the  Ohio  river  as  far  down  as  Newbury ; 
those  on  Duck  creek  ;  on  the  Big  Muskingum,  as  far  up  as 
Big  Hock,  above  Waterford ;  those  of  Little  Hockhocking; 
Federal  creek;  Big  Hockhockino*,  from  the  mouth  to  Min- 
ker's  Bottom,  ten  miles  above  Athens;  part  of  those  on 
Shade  river;  and  all  intermediate  points.  To  compass 
this  plan,  each  of  us  traveled  some  two  hundred  and  fifty 
or  three  hundred  miles,  preached  forty  times,  and  exam- 
ined  about  one  thousand  persons  in  the  classes  every 
twenty-eight  days;  besides  laboring  extensively  in  prayer 
meetings,  catechising  children,  etc. 

The  Muskingum  circuit,  when  the  Rev.  Charles  Elliott 
was  my  colleague,  in  1818-19,  included  what  are  now 
called  Zanesville  station,  Cambridge  circuit,  Putnam  cir- 
cuit, and  parts  of  others;  and  the  year  following,  when 
Samuel  Brockunier  and  James  Gilruth  were  my  colleagues, 
21* 


24:6  M  I  S  0  E  L 1  A  N  V  . 

we  so  enlarged  it  as  to  include  Washington  and  Coshocton, 
and  the  intermediate  settlements.  Those  familiar  with 
the  country  can  see  the  extent  of  our  plan,  by  running  a 
supposed  line  from  Zanesville  by  Dilan's  Iron  Works,  and 
curving  round  through  the  settlements  on  Jonathan's 
creek,  to  Wc^f  creek,  below  M'Connellsville ;  thence  up 
the  Muskingum,  on  the  west  side,  to  Putnam  and  Zanes- 
ville; thence  south-east,  by  a  zigzag  route,  past  Chan- 
dler's Salt  Works,  and  on  to  the  head  of  Wills  creek,  and 
all  the  neighborhoods  down  to  Cambridge;  thence  to 
Washington,  Sugar  creek,  Wagoner's  Plains,  Coshocton, 
and  Johnson's  Plains ;  and  finally,  by  numerous  angles, 
right  angles,  and  acute  angles,  back  to  Zanesville.  This, 
when  I  went  to  it,  was  a  four  weeks  circuit,  but  when  I 
left,  it  required  a  tour  of  six  weeks,  and  allowed  but  little 
rest  for  man  or  beast.  Our  first  year's  labor  there  resulted 
in  a  small  decrease,  chiefly  on  account  of  strictly  enforcing 
the  rules  of  Discipline,  and  laying  aside  many  delinquent 
members;  but  the  second  year  we  received  about  two 
hundred  new  members,  which,  after  deducting  all  losses, 
afforded  some  considerable  increase. 

I  will  name  one  other  circuit  which  I  traveled,  to  show 
the  extent  of  the  fields  we  used  to  cultivate.  Christian 
circuit,  in  Kentucky  conference,  to  which  I  was  assigned 
in  1821-22,  with  Philip  Kennerly,  who  died  before  I 
reached  the  circuit,  embraced  all  of  Christian  and  Todd 
counties,  most  of  Muhlenburg,  and  parts  of  Butler  and 
Logan  counties,  in  Kentucky,  and,  in  Tennessee,  parts  of 
Montgomery  and  Stewart  counties.  This  was  also  a  six 
weeks  circuit,  about  three  hundred  miles  round,  with  near 
forty  appointments,  out  of  which  have  since  been  formed 
Greenville  circuit,  Hopkinsville  circuit,  Montgomery  cir- 
cuit, Tennessee  conference,  and  parts  of  several  others. 
I  have  referred  the  reader  to  these  circuits,  of  which  I  had 
personal  knowledge,  not  as  unusual,  but  ordinary  fields  of 


NOTES    O  F    T  K  A  V  E  L  .  247 

labor  in  those  days,  in  the  western  country,  which,  how- 
ever, when  compared  to  the  circuits  of  our  fathers  before 
us;  were  mere  pea-patches.  Still,  they  were  sufficient  to 
keep  us  busy.  No  account  was  taken  of  wet,  cold,  or 
stormy  weather.  When  we  had  appointments  to  preach, 
we  generally  filled  them,  though  often  through  much  dif- 
ficulty, and  sometimes  at  the  risk  of  life,  on  ice,  or  in 
crossing  fearful  streams.  It  was  considered  but  moderate 
work  to  preach  and  meet  class  once  a  day,  on  an  average, 
and  ride  eight,  ten,  or  fifteen  miles.  And  if  we  redeemed 
one  or  two  days  in  the  week,  to  stay  with  our  families  and 
rest,  or,  rather,  work  to  make  provision  for  them  in  our 
absence,  it  was  by  riding  harder,  and  preaching  oftener  in 
the  day,  while  out  on  the  circuit.  Our  preaching-places 
were  not  only  far  apart  in  general,  but  the  way  from  one 
to  the  other  was  often  very  difficult ;  being  only  a  dim 
path,  which  frequently  branched  off,  without  affording 
the  stranger  any  direction  which  to  follow.  Some  of  the 
preachers,  in  early  times,  carried  a  hatchet  to  mark  the 
trees,  in  a  certain  way,  at  each  place  where  they  had  to 
turn  off  from  the  main  track,  and  others  adopted  the  plan 
of  splitting  a  bush,  to  enable  them  to  recollect  which  path 
to  take ;  but  their  enemies,  finding  out  these  things,  made 
false  signs  to  deceive  and  get  them  bewildered :  so  that, 
with  all  the  care  we  could  take,  it  was  quite  common  to 
miss  our  way  and  get  lost,  till  we  became  familiar  with  all 
the  different  routes  and  neighborhoods  in  the  circuit. 
And  when  we  were  favored  with  plainer  roads,  they  were 
not  well  improved;  and  we  had  to  contend  with  mud, 
water,  and  quicksand,  swamps  and  pole-bridges,  and 
steep,  difficult  ascents  and  descents  alternately.  In  the 
winter  season,  when  the  weather  was  rough,  the  mornings 
short,  and  the  roads  in  the  worst  state,  it  required  great 
effort  to  keep  up  with  our  appointments.  Sometimes  Ave 
had  to  travel   twelve,  fifteen,  or  twenty  miles  before  the 


248  MISCELLANY. 

morning  preaching,  having  no  lodging-place  on  the  way. 
To  meet  such  engagements  I  have  myself,  when  far  from 
home,  risen  long  before  day,  gone  to  the  wood  pile,  cov- 
ered with  snow,  and  fished  out  the  wood,  a  piece  at  a 
time,  packed  it  on  my  shoulder,  built  a  large  fire,  and 
then  roused  up  the  family  to  get  me  a  hasty  lunch,  that  I 
might  be  off  in  good  time.  Starting  with  the  dawn  of 
day,  on  a  clear  morning,  it  was  pleasant  to  observe  the 
sun  as  he  appeared  above  the  horizon,  throwing  his  golden 
rays  through  the  frosty  boughs  of  the  lofty  forest  trees, 
and  spreading  cheerfulness  over  all  the  works  of  God. 
But  if  the  day  was  cloudy,  and  the  temperature  below 
the  freezing  point,  it  was  tedious  to  climb  the  dreary  hills, 
descend  into  the  ice-bound  vales,  and  plunge  into  the  cold 
stream,  perhaps  breaking  ice  as  we  went.  This  we  often 
did  alone,  and  far  from  the  habitation  of  man.  When  we 
reached  the  place  of  destination,  it  was  very  discouraging  to 
meet  only  a  few  indifferent  hearers,  as  was  often  the  case; 
but  very  pleasant  and  encouraging  to  find  a  house  full  of 
patient,  willing  hearers,  waiting  to  hail  us  welcome  as  mes- 
sengers of  truth  in  the  name  of  Christ.  In  both  cases  it  was 
important  for  the  preacher  to  be  punctual ;  in  the  former, 
that  he  might  gather  a  congregation,  and  in  the  latter, 
that  he  might  retain  and  increase  the  one  already  gath- 
ered. A  few  disappointments  in  one  neighborhood  would 
discourage  the  people,  and  destroy  their  confidence  in  the 
preacher;  so  that  he  lost  his  influence  and  his  hearers 
together.  Knowing  this,  it  was  expected  of  the  preachers 
to  attend,  if  possible,  and  preach,  whether  the  hearers 
were  many  or  few.  I  have  frequently  preached  to  three, 
four,  or  a  half  a  dozen,  as  well  I  might,  since  Philip 
preached  to  the  Eunuch  on  the  road,  and  Jesus  to  the 
Samaritan  woman  at  Jacob's  well.  And  though  it  was 
usually  dull  work  to  speak  to  so  few,  it  was  not  always  so. 
[  recollect,  the  second  year  I  was  on  Christian  circuit,  of 


NOTES     OF    T  B  A  V  E  L  ■  24 !  I 

riding  about  nine  miles,  to  a  place  called  Dunham's 
School -house,  where  I  had  engaged  to  preach.  The 
school-house  was  among  the  Knobs,  north-east  part  of 
Christian  county,  situated  on  the  west  point  of  a  ridge,  in 
an  exposed  position,  being  an  open  log  building,  covered 
with  clapboards.  The  north-west  wind  was  piercing  cold, 
so  much  so  as  to  prevent  the  people  from  venturing  out. 

However,  four  persons  attended ;  old  brother  D and 

his  two  single  daughters,  all  members,  and  a  neighboring 
young  woman,  who  was  not  a  member  of  the  society. 
These  I  found  shivering  round  a  small  fire,  at  the  time 
appointed  to  commence.  But  before  I  began,  being  very 
cold  myself,  I  went  to  the  woods,  gathered  as  much  dry 
wood  as  I  could  carry,  and  made  on  a  large  fire.  The 
chimney  was  as  broad  as  the  end  of  the  house,  which  was 
in  our  favor.  I  stood  in  one  corner,  the  old  brother  was 
seated  in  the  other,  and  the  women  in  front  of  the  fire, 
all  in  convenient  distance.  I  read,  sang,  prayed,  and 
preached,  just  as  though  the  house  had  been  full ;  after- 
ward I  proceeded  to  examine  them  as  in  class  meeting. 
They  all  wept,  one  shouted  for  joy,  and  the  non-professor 
being  seriously  affected,  we  finished  with  a  prayer  meeting 
for  her  special  benefit.  She  became,  from  that  hour,  an 
earnest  seeker  of,  and  soon  after  obtained  salvation.  And 
though  I  suffered  some  with  cold,  and  returned  without 
my  dinner,  I  did  not  regret  going.  The  next  time  I 
preached  there  to  a  much  larger  congregation,  and  our 
new  convert  joined  the   Church. 

Now,  it  would  be  easy,  if  necessary,  to  multiply  anec- 
dotes of  this  character,  but  I  only  wish  to  apprise  the 
reader  of  the  nature  of  our  work  as  Methodist  preachers 
in  those  days,  and  the  circumstances  under  which  it  was 
performed.  Our  preaching  was  mostly  in  private  dwell- 
ings and  school-houses,  having  but  few  chapels;  though 
:n  warm  weather  we  preferred  the  open  woods,  especially 


250  MISCELLANY. 

on  popular  occasions,  when  very  large  congregations 
attended.  And  though  this  seemed  to  be  a  small  busi- 
ness, it  was  laying  a  foundation  deep  and  broad,  on  which 
to  build  subsequently,  as  the  result  abundantly  shows. 

OTR  STUDIES. 
Another  part  of  our  duty  was,  studying  to  show  our- 
selves approved  unto  God,  workmen  that  needed  not  to 
be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth.  In  this 
part  of  our  employment  we  were  rather  embarrassed  in 
cold  weather.  House-room  was  scarce ;  and,  as  is  gener- 
ally the  case  in  new  countries,  families  were  large.  In 
many  places  where  we  were  kindly  entertained,  a  small 
cabin,  consisting  of  one  room,  served  for  parlor,  dining- 
room,  kitchen,  bed-chamber,  study,  class-room,  and 
chapel.  Still,  we  did  not  neglect  our  books.  After 
allowing  a  reasonable  time  for  profitable  conversation,  we 
resumed  our  studies.  While  the  family  were  employed  at 
their  business,  we  read  and  wrote ;  and  if  they  became  so 
loquacious  as  to  interrupt  us  much,  we  read  aloud,  and 
explained,  to  the  mutual  improvement  of  them  and  us. 
And  we  had  more  facilities  for  gaining  knowledge  than 
might,  at  first,  be  supposed.  The  Bible,  and  most  of  the 
standard  works  which  we  have  now,  we  had  then,  and 
made  good  use  of  them,  being  at  that  time  but  little 
affected  with  the  extensive  variety  of  light  reading  which 
now  diverts  the  mind  and  heart  from  more  important 
things.  And  owing  to  our  peculiar  mode  of  circulating 
books,  these  standard  works  got  into  the  hands  of  all  the 
preachers,  and  many  of  the  members,  together  with  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  literary  works  to  answer  the  purpose. 
To  all  these  we  applied  ourselves  diligently.  In  the  win- 
ter, those  whose  eyes  could  bear  it,  read  much  at  night. 
If  they  could  obtain  a  lamp  or  candle,  well ;  if  not,  they 
split  boards  and  old  fence-rails  to  splinters,  and  throwing 


NOTES     OF    TRAVEL.  251 

in  a  piece  at  a  time,  read  by  the  blazing  light.  And  in 
warm  weather  we  took  for  our  study  the  .shade  of  a  tree; 
or,  if  the  musketos  became  very  troublesome,  the  preacher 
might  be  occasionally  seen  up  in  the  fork,  or  on  a  huge 
limb  of  a  beech-tree  among  the  boughs,  where  those 
insects  suffered  him  to  pursue  his  studies  in  peace.  We 
also  read  much  on  horseback,  occasionally  closing  the 
book,  and  reflecting  on  its  contents;  to  which  mode  of 
study  our  long,  lonesome  rides  were  admirably  adapted. 
But  what  rendered  our  studies  most  profitable,  was  the 
daily  opportunity  afforded  us  of  turning  immediately  to 
practical,  useful  account,  all  the  knowledge  we  gained 
from  books,  conversation,  or  meditation.  The  conse- 
quence of  the  whole  was,  many  of  the  Methodist 
preachers  who  entered  the  work  with  very  limited  edu- 
cation, became  not  only  grammarians,  historians,  philoso- 
phers, and  orators,  but  what  was  much  better,  profound 
theologians  and  able  ministers  of  the  New  Testament. 
When  self-styled  competent  ministers,  of  certain  Churches, 
brought  up  in  literary  and  theological  institutions,  ques- 
tioned our  right  to  minister  in  holy  things,  on  the  ground 
that  we  were  uneducated  and  ignorant  men,  we  referred 
them  to  the  hundreds  and  thousands  converted  to  God 
under  our  ministry,  living  epistles,  known  and  read  of  all 
men.  Some,  not  satisfied  with  this  answer,  and  self-con- 
fident in  the  support  of  their  supposed  orthodoxy,  espe- 
cially considering  they  were  from  the  college,  and  we  from 
the  woods,  provoked  some  of  our  preachers  to  public  dis- 
cussion of  questions  in  controversy  between  them  and  us; 
but  the  result  before  the  people  seldom  or  never  failed  to 
help  our  cause  at  the  expense  of  their  own.  After  pro- 
scribing us  as  novitiates,  fanatics,  and  heretics,  till  they 
became  satisfied  that  their  opposition  was  helping  us  and 
injuring  themselves,  they  struck  their  crimson  colors, 
commenced  harping  on  the  union  string,  and  began  to 


252  MISCELLANY. 

style  us,  one  of  the  evangelical  denominations!  It  was 
then,  and  not  till  then,  that  other  denominations  began  to 
exert  a  deleterious  influence  on  the  institutions  of  Meth- 
odism, alluring  our  young  members  and  young  preachers 
from  their  Methodist  simplicity,  and  putting  into  their 
heads  notions  of  conformity  to  the  world,  and  to  those 
who  had  only  a  name  to  live,  while  they  were  dead. 
This  has  been  an  occasion  of  much  grief  to  scores  of  old 
preachers  and  thousands  of  old  members  among  us  who 
have  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day.  But  as  this 
train  of  thought  would  lead  me  from  the  original  design 
of  these  scraps,  I  forbear. 

OUR  SUPPORT. 
The  next  feature  of  the  subject  to  which  I  wish  to 
direct  the  attention  of  the  reader,  is  the  inducement  which 
Methodist  preachers  had  to  engage  and  continue  in  the 
toils  and  hardships  above  referred  to.  This  is  the  more 
proper,  as  every  motive  was  attributed  to  them  which 
malice  could  invent,  or  ignorance  credit;  each  class  of 
enemies  having  their  own  method  of  accounting  for  our 
conduct.  Cold-hearted,  half-hearted,  and  false-hearted 
professors  of  religion,  in  various  denominations,  finding 
their  own  craft  in  danger,  charged  us  with  being  false 
prophets,  whose  object  was  to  deceive  the  simple  for  the 
sake  of  the  loaves  and  fishes,  though  we  received  but  few 
of  them.  Many  ignorant  people,  of  the  lower  class,  pro- 
fessed to  think  we  were  a  lazy  set  of  men,  who  wished  to 
be  fed  and  clothed  without  work,  though  no  men  in  the 
country  worked  as  hard  as  we  did  in  our  ministerial  call- 
ing. Some,  whose  reading  did  not  extend  beyond  the 
pages  of  a  stale  novel,  or  the  advertisements  of  a  country 
newspaper,  suspected  that  we  were  spies  or  tories,  sent  by 
John  Wesley  to  spy  out  the  liberties  of  the  people,  under 
a  cloak  of  religion.     Politicians,  who  exhausted  all  the 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL. 

energy  of  their  souls  in  the  scrambles  of  party  politics 
and  the  feuds  of  county  elections,  professed  to  think  we 
were  hired  by  demagogues — almost  as  corrupt  as  them- 
selves— to  influence  the  suffrages  of  the  people;  and  this 
charge  was  preferred  by  men  of  all  political  parties, 
though  we  interfered  with  none  of  them.  Pleasure-takers 
complained  that  we  were  officious  meddlers  with  other 
people's  business,  because  we  preached  against  balls, 
horse-races,  profanity,  intemperance,  and  the  like.  Those 
who  aspired  to  the  high  places  of  society,  but  were  less 
popular  and  caressed  than  they  thought  they  deserved  to 
be,  concluded  our  object  must  be  fame ;  and,  indeed,  we 
were  somewhat  famous  in  their  estimation,  and  the  esti- 
mation of  all  whom  they  could  influence,  but  it  was  for 
being  every  thing  but  Christians  and  gentlemen;  while 
those  whose  god  was  mammon,  wiser  than  all  the  rest, 
found  out  to  their  satisfaction,  that  we  were  fortune-hunt- 
ers ;  that  the  chief  object  of  our  desire  was  money.  This 
last  was,  upon  the  whole,  the  most  common  and  popular 
allegation  of  our  adversaries ;  for  as  self-interest  governs 
the  conduct  of  the  multitude,  it  was  easy  to  influence 
them  to  judge  us  by  themselves.  To  this  charge,  there- 
fore, I  will  briefly  reply. 

Any  man  who  has  intelligence  enough  to  be  a  Method- 
ist preacher,  knows  that  ours  is  not  a  lucrative  profession  ; 
and  any  man  having  sufficient  energy  of  character  to  be  a 
useful  Methodist  preacher,  could  succeed  better  at  almost 
any  thing  else,  if  money  were  his  object.  This  is  true  of 
most  Methodist  preachers  now,  and  it  was  doubly  so 
twenty  years  ago,  when  we  were  generally  without  par- 
sonages, received  nothing  but  quarterage,  and  but  little 
of  that.  Some  of  us  had  families  to  support,  but  we 
asked  no  accommodations  on  that  score — went  in  for  the 
work  as  it  came,  and  moved  from  circuit  to  circuit  as  oc- 
casion required,   though   oft'-n   subject  to  difficulties  and 


254  MISCELLANY. 

embarrassments,  known  only  to  God  and  ourselves.  In 
the  economy  of  Methodism,  no  arrangements  could  be  pre- 
viously entered  into  between  the  preachers  and  people  in 
reference  to  their  field  of  labor  or  support.  The  preach- 
ers knew  nothing  of  their  appointments  till  they  heard 
them  read  out  at  conference.  Learning  to  what  circuits 
we  were  assigned,  we  went  immediately  to  them,  without 
inquiring  whether  the  people  to  be  served  by  us  were 
wealthy  or  poor,  liberal  or  otherwise,  and  provided  houses 
for  ourselves  as  we  could.  We  did  the  work,  pay  or  no 
pay,  supplying  our  lack  of  support  out  of  our  own  private 
funds ;  and  when  these  failed,  very  many  were  compelled 
to  locate,  and  work  with  their  own  hands,  till  they  re- 
cruited their  circumstances  so  as  to  resume  their  high 
and  holy  calling. 

On  the  subject  of  making  money,  as  a  Methodist 
preacher,  I  beg  leave  to  speak  that  I  do  know,  and  testify 
that  I  have  seen.  I  entered  the  itinerant  ministry  with  a 
family,  in  my  twenty-second  year,  having  first  sold  my 
little  farm,  and  vested  the  funds  for  safe-keeping,  so  as  to 
be  at  all  times  ready  to  go  wherever  appointed ;  and  have 
been  a  man  of  one  business  for  more  than  twenty-three 
years,  not  incumbered  with  any  worldly  business,  which 
in  any  wise  interfered  with  my  ministerial  calling.  The 
whole  amount  appropriated  by  the  stewards,  during  the 
first  twelve  years,  as  their  books  in  the  several  circuits 
will  show,  was  about  $1,700;  and  if  to  this  be  added  all 
my  marriage  fees  and  private  presents,  the  aggregate  that 
I  received  on  every  score,  as  a  minister,  for  twelve  years 
service,  was  about  $2,000.  This  is  not  guess  work.  My 
private  accounts  were  kept  with  great  care ;  and,  though 
some  of  them  are  lost,  my  recollection  of  them  is  sub 
stantially  correct.  The  average  dividend  is  $166.66|  per 
year.  This  was  to  pay  house  rent,  buy  fuel,  and  provi- 
sions, and  clothing  for  the  entire  familv,  entertain  com- 


NOTES      OF     TEA  V  EL.  255 

pany,  educate  the  children,  pay  doctors'  bills,  public  and 
private  charities,  and  provide  myself  with  books,  and 
horses,  and  riding  equipage  for  the  circuit,  etc.  After 
appropriating  all  I  received  to  these  purposes  as  far  as  it 
went,  the  balance  was  drawn  from  my  scant  private 
resources,  only  for  which  we  must  have  suffered  till  liter- 
ally starved  out  of  the  connection.  In  confirmation  of 
this,  I  will  here  detail  a  few  particulars. 

The  year  I  was  stationed  in  Hopkinsville,  Ky.,  the 
stewards,  with  some  difficulty,  raised  lor  me  830  quarter- 
age, and  835  family  expense,  or  §65  in  the  year;  my 
expense  the  same  year  being  about  $450,  and  nothing- 
received  from  conference.  This  was  not  owing  to  any 
neglect  of  the  work,  or  the  manner  of  doing  it,  that  I  am 
informed  of.  Nor  was  this  the  worst  year  of  my  life,  in 
reference  to  support.  The  Green  River  district,  to  which 
I  was  appointed  in  the  fall  of  1825,  was  about  one  thou- 
sand miles  round,  including  the  journeys  I  made  to  visit 
my  family  occasionally  between  quarterly  meetings.  My 
way  led  through  Henderson  swamps  and  Jackson's  pur- 
chase, and,  consequently,  across  Cumberland  and  Ten- 
nessee rivers.  My  first  quarterly  meeting  was  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles  from  home,  though  I  resided  in  the 
bounds  of  the  district.  Before  I  commenced  this  heavy 
work,  I  sold  my  pony  and  paid  8100  for  an  able  horse, 
on  which  I  traveled  that  year,  by  computation  as  exact  as 
could  be  made  without  measuring,  three  thousand,  nine 
hundred  miles.  The  same  year,  beside  holding  quarterly 
conferences,  and  administering  the  sacraments  frequently, 
I  delivered  near  three  hundred  public  discourses,  and,  by 
the  blessing  of  Providence,  never  lost  an  appointment, 
winter  or  summer,  spring  or  autumn,  day  or  night,  sick  or 
well.  And  now,  gentle  reader,  what  do  you  suppose  I 
received  for  the  whole  year's  labor?  It  wras  $66  and  a 
few  cents.     And  as  I  shared  with  the  preachers  of  the 


256  MISCELLANY. 

several  circuits  my  proportion  of  the  whole  amount  col- 
lected, this  was  equal  to  the  average  support  of  the  mar- 
ried preachers  in  the  district.  The  next  year  two  more 
circuits  were  added  to  the  district,  which,  of  course, 
increased  both  the  labor  and  the  amount  of  traveling. 
That  year  my  horse  began  to  fail,  and  I  bought  another 
for  $80,  and  got  through  by  riding  them  alternately,  but 
not  without  losing  a  few  appointments,  by  reason  of  family 
affliction.  My  receipts  this  year  amounted  to  a  few  cents 
over  $62.  However,  near  the  close  of  the  year  a  few 
friends,  incidentally  learning  my  temporal  circumstances, 
raised  for  me  $120.  This  was  unofficial,  but  I  reported 
it  at  conference  to  the  credit  of  the  district,  as  a  part  of 
my  family  expense.  Some  time  previous  to  my  entering 
this  work,  in  order  to  save  the  remnant  of  my  little  estate, 
I  had  laid  out  part  of  it  in  a  small  private  residence  in 
Elkton,  and  the  balance  in  a  small  farm  near  the  town. 
This  farm  of  seventy-eight  acres,  the  only  productive 
stock  I  had,  was  rented  out  for  about  $65  per  year,  in 
produce,  which,  added  to  my  salary,  made  an  income  of 
$130  yearly.  But  as  my  annual  expenditure  was  not  less 
than  $400,  it  became  necessary,  at  the  end  of  the  second 
year  on  the  district,  to  sell  my  farm  to  pay  the  bills  I  had 
contracted  to  support  the  family,  while  I  was  serving  the 
Church  and  public.  By  this  means  I  was  thankful  once 
more  to  be  clear  of  debt ;  and  being  next  year  stationed 
in  Louisville,  and  subsequently  transferred  back  to  the 
Ohio  conference,  have  never  since  been  so  much  embar- 
rassed for  want  of  support. 

Such  were  our  facilities  for  making  money  as  traveling 
Methodist  preachers.  Of  course  it  became  us,  in  those 
days,  to  be  strictly  economical.  Costly  furniture,  silk 
dresses,  and  superfine  black  cloth  coats  were  out  of  the 
question.  We  were  glad  of  something  comfortable  to  eat 
on  poplar  tables,  and  equally  so  to  obtain  new  garments 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  ^OT 

of  homespun.  Though  it  did  not  accord  with  our  views 
of  fitness,  for  ministers  to  appear  in  public  dressed  like 
country  laborers,  it  was  the  best  we  could  do  under  the 
circumstances ;  and  as  the  people  chose  to  hear  us  preach 
in  jeans  coats  and  tow-linen  or  linsey  pants,  rather  than  to 
enable  us  to  provide  better,  our  chief  concern,  in  refer- 
ence to  that  matter,  was  to  have  clothes  whole  and  clean, 
which,  by  the  way,  was  not  always  convenient. 

Before  I  leave  this  money-making  business,  it  is  proper 
to  observe,  that  in  almost  every  circuit  we  found  some 
noble  souls,  whose  kindness  and  liberality  ministered  to 
our  necessities,  imparting  consolation  to  us  in  the  day  of 
adversit}T,  so  as  to  keep  our  sinking  heads  a  little  above 
the  waves  of  despondency.  These  few  liberal  souls  con- 
tributed nearly  all  that  was  raised  toward  our  support.  I 
could  name  more  than  a.  score  of  such  in  the  bounds  of 
Green  River  district.  Their  names,  I  trust,  are  in  the 
book  of  life,  and  the  Lord  will  remember  them  when  he 
makes  up  his  jewels.  But  the  great  mass  of  our  people 
were  formerly  very  ignorant,  or  very  neglectful  of  their 
duty  in  supporting  the  Gospel.  In  illustration  of  this,  I 
will  relate  what  occurred  at  a  country  quarterly  meeting 
in  Livingston  circuit,  October,  1826,  while  I  presided  and 
Clement  L.  Clifton  was  preacher  in  charge  of  the  circuit. 
After  passing  through  the  regular  business  of  quarterly 
conference  on  Saturday,  the  stewards  proceeded  to  make 
their  call  on  the  leaders  for  the  quarterly  collections  from 
their  respective  classes ;  and  as  it  was  a  farming  district 
of  country,  and  some  of  our  members  were  in  quite  easy 
circumstances,  something  pretty  clever  might  have  been 
expected,  only  that  it  was  the  first  occasion  of  the  sort 
after  annual  conference ;  but  when  the  contributions  from 
all  the  classes,  containing  several  hundred  members,  were 
brought  together,  they  amounted  to  seventy-five  cents. 
There  was  due  Clifton,  for  one  quarter's  service,  $25,  and 
22* 


258  MISCELLANY. 

myself  $5;  his  traveling  expense  from  conference,  for 
which  he  had  a  claim  on  the  circuit,  was  $2.50,  and  their 
proportion  of  mine  was  fifty  cents,  making,  in  the  whole, 
sacramental  expenses  included,  about  $34,  or  if  there 
were  two  preachers,  of  which  I  am  not  sure,  it  was  $59, 
which  the  circuit  should  have  raised.  These  bills  so  far 
exceeded  the  amount  in  the  treasury,  that  it  was  thought 
prudent  to  defer  any  appropriation  till  after  the  public  col- 
lection should  be  made  on  the  Sabbath,  of  which  due 
notice  had  been  given.  The  weather  on  Sabbath  was 
remarkably  fine  and  pleasant,  so  that  the  house  was  full 
of  females  and  the  yard  of  men.  I  stood  in  the  door  and 
preached  to  the  listening  crowd,  who  paid  very  strict 
attention,  and  seemed  to  be  interested.  Sermon  ended,  I 
made  a  few  appropriate  remarks  on  the  privilege  and 
duty  of  supporting  the  Gospel,  explained  the  object  of  the 
collection  about  to  be  lifted,  and  sent  the  stewards  through 
the  congregation,  in  doors  and  out.  About  that  time 
change  in  Kentucky  consisted  mostly  of  individual  notes 
on  stores,  ferry-boats,  blacksmith  shops,  etc.;  and  when 
all  the  hats  were  emptied  into  one,  and  the  money 
counted,  it  was  ascertained  to  be  exactly  fifty  cents  in 
sliinplasters.  Total  amount  raised  by  the  circuit  that 
quarter,  $1.25. 

Now,  if  the  reader  will  connect  with  this  state  of  things 
the  recollection  that  we  were  regarded,  in  early  days,  by 
many  as  idle  strollers,  or  deceivers,  having  constantly  to 
breast  a  storm  of  opposition  and  persecution,  he  can  judge 
whether  the  love  of  gain,  ease,  or  applause  had  any  hand 
in  causing  men  of  good  character  and  fair  prospects  in 
life  to  turn  Methodist  preachers.  No,  it  was  the  love  of 
God  and  man,  and  the  desire  of  saving  blood-bought 
souls,  that  rendered  them  willing  to  spend  and  be  spent 
in  the  cause  of  Christ.  Amidst  a  thousand  nameless 
difficulties  they  persevered   in  their  Master's  work,  till 


N  OTES     OF     T  it  A  \    J.  I..  259 

most  of  the  obstacles  were  overcome;  and,  thank  God!  a 
brighter  day  has  dawned  upon  us  in  this  western  land. 
Our  preachers  are  now  as  much  respected,  and  upon 
an  average  nearly  as  well  supported  as  those  of  other 
Churches  west  of  the  mountains.  And  by  comparing 
their  present  condition  with  the  condition  of  those  who 
preceded  them  in  the  cultivation  of  the  Lord's  vineyard, 
they  may  see  sufficient  cause  to  thank  God  and  take  cour- 
age, and  go  on  their  way  rejoicing. 

OUR  EtfJOYJTENTS. 
Those  who  look  not  beyond  the  things  which  perish, 
and  take  no  thought  for  the  life  to  come,  might  naturally 
suppose  that  the  early  Methodist  preachers  of  this  country, 
according  to  the  preceding  remarks  respecting  their  diffi- 
culties, were  very  disconsolate  men.  And  truly,  in  view 
of  the  things  they  suffered,  there  would  be  some  plausi- 
bility in  this  supposition,  if  in  this  life  only  they  had  hope. 
But  not  so.  They  sought  a  better  country,  laying  up  a 
good  foundation  against  the  time  to  come ;  and  their  hope 
was  anchored  within  the  vail,  whither  Christ,  the  forerun- 
ner, was  for  them  entered,  as  an  advocate  with  the  Father. 
When  a  man  glories  not,  save  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  by 
which  he  is  crucified  to  the  world  and  the  world  to  him — 
when  he  has  a  conscience  void  of  offense  toward  God  and 
man,  and  a  good  hope,  through  grace,  of  everlasting  life  in 
heaven,  he  will  be  happy  under  any  outward  circum- 
stances. Now,  this  was  the  condition  of  most  Methodist 
preachers,  under  the  trying  scenes  alluded  to  above. 
There  may  have  been  exceptions ;  but  the  great  body  of 
them  knew  that  their  witness  was  in  heaven,  and  their 
record  on  high,  while  they  received  within  their  hearts  a 
kingdom  which  could  not  be  shaken  by  the  combined 
opposition  of  Satan  and  his  children.  The  testimony  of 
Paul,   respecting   the   first   teachers  of   Christianity,  was 


260  MISCELLANY. 

quite  applicable  to  them  :  "Even  unto  this  present  hour  we 
both  hunger,  and  thirst,  and  are  naked,  and  are  buffeted, 
and  have  no  certain  dwelling-place ;  and  labor,  work- 
ing with  our  own  hands :  beinq-  reviled,  we  bless ;  beinq; 
persecuted,  we  suffer  it;  being  defamed,  we  entreat;  we 
are  made  as  the  filth  of  the  earth,  and  are  the  offscouring 
of  all  things  unto  this  day."  "But  we  have  this  treasure 
in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may 
be  of  God,  and  not  of  us.  We  are  troubled  on  every 
side,  yet  not  distressed;  we  are  perplexed,  but  not  in 
despair ;  persecuted,  but  not  forsaken ;  cast  down,  but  not 
destroyed  ;  always  bearing  about  in  the  body  the  dying  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  that  the  life  also  of  Jesus  miq-ht  be  made 
manifest  in  our  body." 

Beside  peace  in  believing,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
they  had  some  pleasant  things  connected  with  their  work ; 
for  outward  circumstances  were  not  all  against  them.  Far 
removed  from  the  noise  and  bustle  of  commercial  cities, 
the  hurrying  crowds  of  business  men,  and  the  frivolity  of 
fashionable  life,  they  enjoyed  the  sweet  solitude  of  the 
woods,  so  favorable  to  pious  meditation.  This  afforded  a 
most  delightful  school,  in  which  to  gain  the  knowledge  of 
God  and  their  own  hearts.  How  precious  is  the  recollec- 
tion still,  of  those  evening  hours  spent  in  prayer  and 
meditation,  amidst  the  shady  bowers  of  our  western  for 
ests!  For  such  exercise  there  is  no  place  equal  to  the 
solemn,  silent  grove,  whose  spreading  foliage  conceals  the 
kneeling  suppliant  from  the  view  of  all  but  God.  It  is 
true,  we  were  not  always  in  the  country ;  for,  as  our  com- 
mission was  to  "go  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  every  creature,"  the  villages  were  not  neglected. 
In  them  we  had  nourishing  societies  of  living  Christians, 
long  before  the  "educated  ministry"  ventured  to  the 
"moral  desolations"  of  this  great  valley;  although  some 
of  them  reported  officially,  that  they  had  preached   the 


N  0  T  E  B     0  F     T  B  A  V  E  L.  261 

first  Gospel  sermons  ever  delivered  in  certain  places,  where 
we  had  been  regularly  preaching  for  many  years.  But 
having  preached  our  sermons,  examined  our  classes,  and 
visited  the  sick  and  serious  in  town,  Ave  resumed  our 
wonted  employment  of  searching  for  lost  sheep  in  the 
wilderness.  Exercise  on  horseback  was  our  element  and 
favorite  recreation.  When  slightly  indisposed,  or  debil- 
itated by  excess  of  public  exercise  in  town  or  city,  it 
served  at  once  to  invigorate  the  body  and  exhilarate 
the  mind.  Thus,  this  part  of  our  work  promoted  good 
health  and  fine  spirits.  It  is  strange  that  any  Methodist 
preacher  should  prefer  a  station  to  a  circuit,  in  view  of 
these  things.  And,  moreover,  our  long,  solitary  rides 
were  as  favorable  to  study  as  to  health  and  piety,  afford- 
ing the  best  possible  opportunity  to  study  a  sermon,  or 
to  carry  out  any  train  of  thought  suggested  by  reading 
or  conversation.  Sometimes  we  enjo}Ted  hours  together 
almost  uninterrupted,  in  this  delightful  employment,  and 
consequently  came  before  the  congregation  well  prepared 
to  discuss  some  profitable  subject  selected  for  their  edifi- 
cation, and  frequently  had  times  of  refreshing  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  If  the  meeting  was  in  a  log  school- 
house,  or  under  the  spreading  boughs  of  an  oak,  it  was 
nothing  the  worse  of  that,  so  God  was  worshiped  in  spirit 
and  in  truth.  Week-day  congregations  in  the  country 
were  much  larger  then  than  now ;  for,  though  we  were 
opposed  by  formalists,  infidels,  and  libertines,  very  many 
of  the  people  loved  to  hear  preaching,  and  would  gather 
in  from  a  distance  of  several  miles  round,  and  hang  on 
the  lips  of  the  preacher  with  solemn  attention,  as  he  stood 
behind  a  table  or  split-bottom  chair,  proclaiming  peace  on 
earth  and  good-will  to  man.  Excuses  about  distance  and 
want  of  time  were  less  frequent,  than  complaints  that  the 
minister  came  too  seldom,  or  made  his  sermon  too  short. 
We  were  frequently  importuned  to  appoint  a  second  meet- 


262  MISCELLANY. 

ing  in  the  evening,  to  which  we  often  consented,  and  hart 
the  cabin  full  of  weeping  hearers.  After  sermon  and 
prayer  meeting,  when  the  people  started  home  of  a  dark 
night,  it  was  an  interesting  spectacle  to  step  out  into  the 
yard  and  observe  a  score  of  torch  lights  diverging  in 
every  direction  from  the  place  of  worship,  to  light  the 
families  to  their  different  homes.  But  what  interested  the 
preacher  most,  was  the  simplicity  and  fervor  of  their  devo- 
tions ;  because  this  was  conclusive  evidence  that  his  work 
was  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  While  he  lined  the  hymn, 
all  the  people  stood  up  and  sang  the  praise  of  God 
together ;  and  though  they  had  neither  pitch  pipe,  note 
book,  nor  choir,  it  was  most  solemn  and  impressive  to  hear 
them  "singing  with  grace  in  their  hearts  to  the  Lord." 
And  their  prayers  were  as  earnest  as  their  songs  were 
solemn  and  melodious.  In  those  cabins  and  woods  we 
often  witnessed  displays  of  awakening  power,  pardoning 
mercy,  and  sanctifying  influence,  over  which  angels  might 
well  rejoice.  And  after  a  few  days  in  the  country,  labor- 
ing in  revivals,  forming  new  .societies,  enlarging  his  cir- 
cuit, and  witnessing  numerous  conversions,  the  preacher 
returned  to  town  like  a  messenger  of  grace  newly  com- 
missioned from  on  high,  filled  with  faith  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  preached  in  the  power  and  demonstration  of 
the  Spirit,  till  sinners  trembled,  wept,  and  turned  to  Christ, 
and  saints  shouted  aloud  for  joy. 

Now,  if  any  one  is  tempted  to  doubt  the  excellency  of 
this  itinerant  mode  of  operation,  let  him  lift  up  his  eyes 
and  look  eastward,  westward,  northward,  and  southward, 
and  behold  what  God  hath  wrought  by  it.  Where  w« 
were  no  people,  we  have  become  the  people  of  the  Lord, 
the  wilderness  has  bloomed,  and  the  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness cluster  thickly  round  us.  The  handful  of  members 
have  swelled  to  multitudes,  and  the  place  of  the  log  hut,  in 
which  we  once  met  to  worship,  is  supplied  with  a  spacious 


NOTES      OF     TBAVEL.  268 

chapel,  and  is  still  full.  Truly,  "the  Lord  hath  done 
great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad;"  and  the 
blessed  work  is  still  going  on ! 


INCIDENTS   OF   TRAVEL,  1336. 

I  should  like  to  introduce  the  reader  to  the  Black  River 
Swamp,  in  the  state  of  Arkansas,  but  not  till  I  get  to  it, 
nor  yet  exactly  as  I  was  introduced  to  it  myself. 

In  September,  1836,  I  left  the  Queen  City,  to  attend 
the  Tennessee,  Arkansas,  Mississippi,  and  Alabama  con- 
ferences. It  appeared  like  a  long,  fatiguing  journey  to 
perform  on  horseback,  and  alone ;  but  there  were  points 
m  view  which  could  be  reached  by  no  other  means  of 
conveyance.  There  might  be  disease  and  danger  in  the 
course;  but  I  was  on  lawful  business,  intimately  con- 
nected with  the  welfare  of  redeemed  sinners;  and  why 
should  any  man  ever  fear  to  go  where  duty  calls,  or  remain 
till  his  work  is  done?  Moreover,  I  was  well  mounted 
upon  Nick,  a  fine  pacing  gray.  He  moved  as  if  on  ellip- 
tic springs,  and  bore  onward  with  a  strength  of  muscle, 
and  power  of  endurance,  which  excited  my  admiration. 
Far  removed,  not  only  from  wife,  children,  and  friends, 
but  from  the  crowds  of  strangers  which  usually  throng  the 
public  lines  of  conveyance,  it  was  a  time  for  reflection  on 
the  responsibilities  and  difficulties  of  my  new  relation,  and 
not  wholly  unimproved.  Lonely  reflection,  however,  was 
soon  superseded  by  practical  duties.  While  in  council 
with  the  brethren  of  Tennessee  conference,  at  Columbia, 
a  call  made  for  volunteers  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  new 
conference  just  set  oft"  in  the  state  of  Arkansas,  was 
promptly  responded  to  by  some  noble -hearted,  self- 
sacrificing  young  ministers.     Three  of  them  were  rcadv 


264  M  I  S  C  E  L  L  A  N  T 

to  bear  me  company  thither,  immediately  after  the  final 
adjournment.  Their  names  were  Randle,  Duncan,  and 
Simmons.  Passing  down  through  the  western  district  of 
Tennessee,  we  came  on  the  fresh  trail  of  fourteen  thou- 
sand Creek  Indians,  just  then  removing  from  Alabama  to 
their  new  home  in  the  far-off  west.  At  one  of  their 
camping  places,  then  vacated,  was  seen  a  standing  hollow 
tree,  out  of  the  side  of  which  had  been  taken  a  slab,  by 
cutting  above  and  below,  and  splitting  it  off,  and  which 
had  been  carefully  replaced.  A  citizen,  whose  neighbors 
had  made  examination,  informed  us,  that  in  the  hollow  of 
that  tree  was  a  deceased  Indian,  standing  erect,  with  his 
gun,  blanket,  and  hunting  costume,  as  he  appeared  when 
living.  We  subsequently  saw  several  of  these  depositories 
of  their  dead.  As  a  matter  of  convenience,  the  Indians 
were  separated  into  companies  of  fifteen  hundred,  and  a 
sub-agent  assigned  to  each.  We  came  up  with  the  rear 
gang  in  the  vicinity  of  Memphis,  were  two  days  passing 
their  extended  line  of  companies,  and  slept  three  nights  in 
sight  of  their  camps.  No  nation  of  men  ever  exhibited 
more  powerful  muscles  than  were  developed  in  the  persons 
of  the  Creek  warriors.  Like  other  people,  they  bore  the 
marks  of  inequality.  Some  had  the  appearance  of  abject 
poverty.  Among  this  class  the  men  rode  on  ponies,  car- 
rying their  guns  and  camp-kettles,  while  the  women 
trudged  on  foot,  bearing  heavy  packs  on  their  heads, 
and  small  children  lashed  upon  their  shoulders.  A  sec- 
ond class  were  better  clad,  had  a  better  outfit,  and  pre- 
sented more  appearance  of  comfort.  The  third  class, 
probably  formed  of  the  nobility  of  the  nation,  were 
gaudily  attired  in  silk  and  jewelry,  and  exhibited  the 
insignia  of  wealth  and  office. 

After  crossing  the  "Father  of  waters,"  at  Memphis,  we 
immediately  entered  the  Mississippi  JSwamp,  which,  at 
that  point,  was  forty-two  miles  across.     The  track  was  so 


NOTES     OF     TEAVEL.  265 

worked  up  by  the  teams  and  pack-horses,  that  we  found 
it  more  pleasant  to  avoid  it  when  practicable.  For  miles 
together  our  horses  waded,  but  generally  found  firm  bot- 
tom, except  about  the  sloughs,  where  many  tired  Indian 
ponies  stuck  fast,  and  were  left  to  perish  in  the  bog,  and 
where  our  noble  animals  had  to  struggle  hard  to  escape 
the  same  fate.  On  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  we 
emerged  from  the  swamp,  and  crossed  the  St.  Francis 
river.  At  a  small,  green  bottom,  two  miles  beyond  the 
river,  two  companies  of  Creeks,  numbering  some  three 
thousand  in  all,  were  camped  for  the  night.  We  took 
lodging  at  a  country  tavern  on  the  hill,  about  thirty  rods 
from  them.  They  had  nearly  as  many  ponies  as  people, 
and  almost  every  pony  wore  a  bell.  The  camp  axes 
were  roaring;  dogs  and  children  appeared  to  be  alike 
abundant  and  alike  noisy.  The  whole,  taken  together, 
produced  a  singular  confusion  of  sounds,  and  presented 
quite  a  novel  spectacle. 

Next  morning,  about  daybreak,  we  rode  out  through 
the  encampment,  in  a  north-east  direction,  on  the  Bates- 
ville  road.  Having  cleared  the  great  swamp,  and  reached 
an  undulating  surface,  we  congratulated  ourselves  that 
the  worst  of  the  journey  was  behind.  For  some  twenty- 
five  miles  our  course  led  us  over  desolate  pine  and 
oak  ridges,  which,  nevertheless,  formed  an  agreeable 
contrast  with  the  sludge  from  which  we  had  escaped.  At 
noon  the  rain  began  to  fall,  slowly  at  first,  but  steadily. 
In  the  afternoon  Ave  came  by  a  small  company  of  men 
engaged  in  raising  a  corn-crib  near  to  a  cabin,  which 
seemed  to  be  full,  and  presented  no  appearance  of  com- 
fort, when  the  following  conversation  ensued : 

"How  far  is  it  to  the  next  house?" 

"Twenty-one  miles;  and  three  more  to  the  tavern." 

"What  sort  of  road  is  it?" 

"Not  very  good,  nor  bad;  just  middling." 
23 


266  MISCELLANY. 

"Is  there  any  deep  water  to  cross?" 

"None  that  will  swim,  except  Bayou  de  View,  sixteen 
miles  from  here ;  and  I  don't  reckon  that  will  swim  quite." 

Then  among  ourselves  we  held  a  conference,  on  horse- 
back, the  rain  still  coming  down.  "It  is  two  o'clock; 
say  lour  hours  till  daylight  will  be  entirely  gone.  Can 
we  reach  the  point  of  difficulty  before  dark?"  "Yes,  I 
think  we  can."  "If  we  fail  to  get  through,  we  shall 
need  our  dinner  by  to-morrow."  "Well,  I  have  a  little 
piece  of  corn  bread,"  said  one.  "And  I  have  part  of  a 
sweet  potato,"  said  another.  "That  is  as  good  fare  as 
we  can  get  here,"  responded  a  third.  It  was  suggested, 
if  we  had  to  camp  out,  there  was  no  means  of  striking 
lire ;  but  perhaps  other  campers  might  have  left  fire  on 
the  way.  The  case  was  finally  summed  up  thus:  our 
time  in  wThich  to  reach  conference  is  short;  there  is  no 
use  staying  here  in  the  rain :  come  on.  And  onward  we 
went,  ignorant  of  what  was  before  us.  In  a  few  minutes 
our  road  disappeared  under  water.  What  does  this  mean? 
Why,  the  Black  River  Swamp.  "They  said,  last  night, 
we  should  cross  it,  but  it  looks  worse  than  we  expected." 
The  sludge  increased,  and  the  horses  sank  more  and 
more.  Presently,  while  passing  a  bad  place,  Nick,  better 
acquainted  with  M'Adamized  turnpikes  than  swamps, 
went  down  till  he  wras  nearly  buried  alive  in  quicksand 
and  water.  After  a  long  and  hard  struggle,  he  came  out 
and  brought  me  with  him,  but  my  heavy  saddle-bags 
were  left  behind  in  the  mud.  Having  recovered  them,  we 
resumed  the  journey,  but  soon  reached  another  slough, 
where,  to  prevent  a  greater  evil,  I  dismounted,  drove  the 
horse,  and  followed  on  foot,  through  mud  and  water  to 
the  knees,  by  which  we  made  a  safe  crossing.  But  the 
thought  of  its  being  twenty  miles  to  the  next  house,  wet 
and  cold,  my  boots  full  of  water,  and  the  night  approach- 
ing, was  not  very  cheering.     It  was    about  the  last  of 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  267 

October.  The  climate  was  supposed  to  be  unhealthy. 
We  had  fairly  entered  a  dismal  swamp,  thirty-two  miles 
wide,  and,  in  consequence  of  heavy  rains,  unusually  full 
of  water.  Instead  of  traveling  four  miles  an  hour,  as  we 
had  expected,  our  horses  were  unable  to  make  three. 
The  beaten  track  was  the  least  dangerous,  as  it  always 
is  over  quicksand ;  but  for  miles  together  it  was  wholly 
under  water,  varying  in  depth  from  six  inches  to  three 
feet,  and  the  bottom  little  more  than  a  continuous  quag- 
mire, as  deep  as  the  horses  could  struggle  through. 
While  daylight  lasted,  we  could  follow  the  trace  by  the 
old  blazes  on  the  sides  of  the  trees ;  but  night  closed  in 
upon  us  long  before  we  reached  the  main  point  of  diffi- 
culty, and  the  rain  still  increasing.  We  lost  the  track, 
our  feet  dragged  through  brushwood,  and  the  morass 
shook  beneath  us ;  but  giving  the  affrighted  horses  loose 
rein,  they  returned  to  it.  Again  we  took  the  wrong  direc- 
tion, and  went  plunging  through  water  and  alder-bushes, 
in  danger,  every  moment,  of  being  ingulfed  in  quicksand, 
but,  after  some  time,  found  our  road  once  more.  A  con- 
ference was  then  called,  to  discuss  the  question,  "Shall 
we  give  it  up,  or  try  to  proceed  ?"  It  was  a  solemn  con- 
ference; and  though  darkness  and  storm  prevailed  without, 
order  and  peace  were  maintained  within.  The  sum  of  our 
conversation  was  briefly  this:  to  stay  here  all  night,  wet, 
cold,  and  hungry,  without  shelter,  without  fire,  or  a  foot 
of  dry  ground  on  which  to  stand,  is  perilous :  to  proceed 
was  only  perilous ;  and  the  conclusion  was,  to  try  it  again. 
After  losing  and  regaining  the  beaten  way  a  third  time,  at 
last  coming  to  a  bank  of  sand,  and  then  a  rapid  descent 
of  some  feet  to  a  sheet  of  deep  water,  we  inferred  that  we 
were  at  the  margin  of  the  much-dreaded  Bayou  de  View. 
The  bill  of  direction  was,  to  enter  near  a  large  tree,  bear 
up  to  the  point  of  an  island,  then,  forming  an  angle  down- 
ward, steer  for  a  projecting  log  on  the  opposite  shore. 


268  MISCELLANY. 

But,  alas !  under  the  lofty  trees  and  lowering  clouds,  the 
darkness  was  such  that  we  could  not  see  the  animals  on 
which  we  rode.  What  was  to  be  done?  To  encounter 
the  turbid  stream  at  random,  was  bordering  on  presump- 
tion;  to  wait  for  daylight,  when  the  stream  was  rising, 
was  discouraging,  and  might  defeat  our  whole  enterprise. 
As  it  was  a  case  in  which  life  might  be  involved,  a  regu- 
lar vote  was  taken,  by  calling  the  roll,  and  it  was  unani- 
mous in  favor  of  going  ahead.  It  was  also  agreed  that  I 
should  be  commander.  The  line  was  promptly  formed,  as 
follows :  brother  Randle,  having  a  steady  horse,  and  being 
a  light  rider,  was  to  lead  off;  brother  Simmons,  second; 
the  writer  third;  and  brother  Duncan  was  to  bring  up  the 
rear.  It  was  further  ordered,  to  keep  two  rods  apart,  so 
that  if  we  struck  a  swim,  every  man  might  have  sea-room, 
and  a  chance  for  life.  ''All  ready?"  "Yes."  "Proceed. 
Cry  soundings."  "Knee-deep;  up  to  the  girth;  mid- 
sides  ;  steady :  over  the  withers,  but  still  feel  bottom ; 
more  shallow  now.  Here  is  the  point  of  the  island." 
"Very  well.  Now  form  an  angle  to  the  left;  down 
stream  is  easy."  The  latter  channel  was  no  deeper  than 
the  former,  and  all  made  safe  landing.  Thanks  to  kind 
Providence ! 

Our  next  direction  was,  to  leave  the  old  trace  here,  turn 
down  the  bayou  some  distance  without  any  road,  so  as  to 
intersect  a  new  way,  which  had  been  recently  cut  out, 
starting  from  a  point  lower  down.  Between  the  ford  and 
the  new  way  Ave  tore  through  brushwood,  leaped  over 
logs,  and  plunged  into  sloughs,  at  the  risk  of  our  limbs, 
but  finally  reached  the  road,  when  our  horses  gladly 
resumed  the  proper  course.  It  was,  to  our  great  mortifi- 
cation, soon  ascertained  that  the  new  wray  was  more  miry 
than  the  old.  As  we  could  see  nothing,  our  quadrupeds 
had  all  the  credit  for  keeping  the  road.  Presently  brother 
Randie's  horse  was  heard  plunging,  at  a  fearful  rate,  for 


N  O  T  E  6     O  F     T  EAVEL,  269 

some  time,  when  he  announced  a  very  dangerous  place; 
"water  up  to  midsides,  and  the  bottom  very  boggy." 
Brother  Simmons  next  put  in,  and  was  glad  when  he  got 
out.  He  advised  me  to  veer  to  the  left;  it  might  be  bet- 
ter, and,  he  thought,  could  be  no  worse.  It  proved  to  be 
unfortunate  advice,  as  it  threw  me  on  to  a  heap  of  logs, 
that  had  been  rolled  in  to  fill  up  a  deep  and  dangerous 
boo-,  but  wrhich  were  then  all  afloat.  Nick  had  a  terrible 
scuffle  over  them.  Once  his  foot  hung  fast;  twice  the 
water  rolled  over  him,  and  the  rider  was  well-nigh 
unhorsed;  but,  finally,  he  righted,  and  brought  me  out 
unhurt.  Taking  a  position,  as  nearly  as  I  could  guess, 
opposite  to  where  the  others  crossed,  I  called  to  brother 
Duncan  to  steer  by  my  voice,  and  put  in.  He  came  near 
sticking  fast,  but  received  no  damage.  At  a  late  period 
of  the  night,  while  groping  amid  darkness  that  could  be 
felt,  mingled  with  incessant  showers,  we  were  suddenly 
aroused  by  the  joyful  note,  "A  light!  a  light!"  Ap- 
proaching as  near  as  some  unseen  obstruction  allowed, 
we  hailed.     An  old  lady  came  to  the  door  and  demanded, 

"Who  is  there?" 

"Travelers." 

"Ah!  I  thought  my  sons  had  got  back  from  bear- 
hunting." 

"No,  madam,  we  are  strangers;  have  been  belated  in 
the  swamp,  and  wish  to  know  if  you  will  shelter  us  the 
balance  of  the  night." 

"Why,  la,  me!  I  wouldn't  turn  oft'  a  dog  such  a  night 
as  this." 

Securing  the  horses  to  the  trees,  we  joyfully  entered 
the  cabin  of  poles,  about  sixteen  feet  long,  and  fourteen 
wide.  The  chimney  was  unfinished.  There  was  a  place 
for  a  hearth,  but  it  was  not  filled  up,  and  the  fire  was 
down  in  a  hole,  some  eighteen  inches  below  the  pun- 
cheons.    Four  of  us,  with  our  wet  baggage,  added  to  the 


270  MISCELLANY. 

family,  and  two  other  strangers  that  were  there  before  us, 
scarcely  left  us  room  to  turn  round.  At  midnight  we 
made  a  comfortable  dinner  on  pork  and  corn-dodger ;  and 
having  dried  off  a  little,  we  held  our  evening  prayers  at 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  quietly  laid  us  down  to 
sleep,  grateful  for  our  kind  reception.  About  daylight  we 
asked  the  old  lady  for  our  bill,  which  was  two  dollars. 
When  we  inquired  if  she  meant  two  dollars  each,  "she  said, 

"La,  me  !  I  should  be  rich  if  I  had  that  much.  I  mean 
two  dollars  for  all  four." 

Having  completed  our  preparation,  we  resumed  the 
swamp;  but  the  limbs  of  our  animals  were  so  lacerated 
by  maple-roots  and  cypress-knees,  that  they  took  it  very 
reluctantly.  We  reached  the  Cash  river  tavern,  with  hard 
toiling,  in  an  hour  and  a  half,  the  distance  being  three 
miles,  where  the  landlady,  in  the  absence  of  her  husband, 
first  served  us  with  breakfast,  and  then  ferried  us  over  the 
river.  When  the  boat  had  crossed  the  rapid  channel,  she 
grounded  on  the  bank,  which  was  entirely  inundated ;  so 
that  we  had  no  alternative  but  to  mount  in  the  boat,  and 
leap  over  the  bow  into  the  water.  Eight  miles  more  of 
wading  and  plunging,  which  consumed  just  four  hours, 
brought  us  out  of  the  Black  River  Swamp  at  Litchfield, 
thankful  that  we  were  alive. 

After  reaching  solid  ground,  and  obtaining  lodgings, 
our  first  concern  was  to  unpack  our  clothes,  books,  and 
papers,  and  dry  them.  This  done,  we  preached,  exhorted, 
and  held  prayer  meeting  in  the  village  of  Litchfield, 
where  the  inhabitants  received  us  kindly,  and  requested 
regular  preaching,  which  was  of  course  provided  for  them. 
Our  little  party  felt  toward  each  other  like  a  band  of 
patriot  soldiers,  who  had  endured  a  hard  and  hazardous 
campaign  together,  and  we  distributed  among  ourselves 
small  presents,  as  mementos  of  our  mutual  regard  and 
providential  deliverance.     The  last  I  knew  of  my  com- 


NOTES      OF      TKA  V  E  L .  271 

panions  in  travel,  they  were  all  zealous  and  successful 
ministers  of  Christ.  May  they  severally  receive  the  crown 
of  life ! 

In  this  narrative  there  is  not  a  particle  of  iiction,  noth- 
ing thrown  in  to  fill  up  a  chasm,  but  much  omitted  to 
shorten  the  article.  Every  man  who  adventured  himself 
intc  that  swamp  in  the  condition  it  was  then  in,  did  it  at 
his  peril.  Had  I  been  offered  one  thousand  dollars  to 
retrace  my  steps,  it  would  have  been  no  temptation.  Only 
for  reliance  on  the  providence  of  God,  I  should  have 
despaired  of  getting  safely  out.  In  all  the  course  of  my 
life  I  have  seldom,  if  ever,  felt  such  a  spirit  of  prayer  and 
enjoyed  such  a  power  of  faith  in  God  as  I  did  during  the 
perils  of  that,  to  me,  memorable  night.  How  we  were  to 
be  delivered  I  did  not  know,  nor  feel  concerned  to  know, 
but  felt  the  most  unshaken  confidence  that  God,  in  his 
own  way,  would  bring  us  safely  through.  And  after  ob- 
taining that  confidence,  I  felt  more  of  the  spirit  of  rejoic- 
ing than  is  usual  for  me,  even  under  more  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. Such  was  the  beginning  of  my  first  regular 
tour  on  what  is  sometimes  called  "the  big  circuit;"  but  I 
am  happy  to  add,  it  was  not  a  fair  specimen  of  my  jour- 
ney ings,  even  in  that  new  country. 


TRAVELING,  1341. 

The  writer,  a  native  of  the  United  States,  has  never 
visited  any  foreign  lands,  and  does  not  desire  to  do  so,  as 
he  prefers  "the  land  of  the  brave  and  the  home  of  the 
free;"  but  he  has  some  experience  in  traveling  in  our  own 
beloved  country.  Of  course  he  writes  not  for  the  enter- 
tainment of   those   who  have  feasted   their  eyes   on   the 


272  MISCELLANY. 

mountain  scenery  of  Italy,  surveyed  the  catacombs  and 
pyramids  of  Egypt,  braved  the  sirocco  of  Arabian  deserts, 
or  wandered  amidst  the  sacred  relics  of  the  Holy  Land ; 
but  with  the  hope  of  benefiting  some  who  have  not  trav- 
eled at  all.  Americans  are  a  migratory  people;  the  facil- 
ities for  traveling  are  increasing ;  distant  points  are  appar- 
ently brought  near  together;  much  conversation  on  the 
part  of  those  who  have  been  abroad,  renders  them  famil- 
iar to  all,  and  a  general  spirit  of  passing  to  and  fro  is 
cultivated.  Many  who  have  never  been  distant  from  the 
place  of  their  nativity,  seem  to  think  they  lack  but  one 
thing  to  render  them  happy ;  that  is,  to  travel  and  see  the 
world;  and  they  long  to  be  on  the  go.  Some  desire 
chiefly  to  behold  the  distant  city  with  its  domes  and 
steeples;  some  to  scale  the  lofty  Alleghanies,  those  "ma- 
jestic pyramids  of  nature;"  while  others  are  impatient  to 
explore  the  new  countries  of  the  far-famed  west,  strangely 
supposing  that  the  nearer  they  get  toward  where  the  sun 
goes  down,  the  more  paradisiacal  will  be  their  situation. 
Now,  it  is  for  the  special  benefit  of  those  infected  with 
this  restless  spirit  -of  migration,  that  the  author  begs 
leave  to  submit  a  few  thoughts. 

That  the  American  traveler  enjoys  some  pleasures  which 
he  can  not  command  at  home,  is  readily  admitted.  In 
mid-winter  it  is  decidedly  grateful  to  the  sense  of  feeling, 
to  inhale  the  balmy  zephyrs  of  the  south,  as  they  rustle 
through  the  boughs  of  the  live  oak  and  the  broad,  green 
leaves  of  the  magnolia,  wafting  soft  notes  of  melodv  from 
nature's  musicians — the  feathered  tribes  of  every  hue. 
It  is  no  less  delightful  in  summer  to  be  fanned  by  the 
refreshing  breezes  of  the  Green  Mountain  or  White  Moun- 
tain of  the  north.  Moreover,  it  satisfies  one's  curiosity  to 
gaze  on  the  extended  prairie  of  the  west;  for,  on  entering 
it  for  the  first  time,  the  surprised  traveler,  like  the  inex- 
perienced voyager,  is  ready  to  exclaim,  "The  sea,  the  sea, 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  273 

the  open  sea!"  and  when  he  reaches  the  middle  of  it,  and 
passes  some  deep  ravine,  where  the  distant  forest  is  con- 
cealed from  view,  he  may  carry  out  the  figure  by  saying, 
"We  are  out  of  sight  of  land."  It  is  equally  pleasant  to 
others  to  stand  on  the  shores  of  our  inland  seas — the 
hikes — whitened  with  the  sails  of  commerce  and  bordered 
with  new  and  flourishing-  villages.  To  some  it  would 
appear  at  least  novel,  to  be  conveyed,  perfectly  at  their 
ease,  twenty  miles  an  hour  by  a  railroad  locomotive; 
while  others  would  regard  it  as  quite  desirable  to  traverse 
our  eastern  cities,  thronoed  with  moving  multitudes  of 
every  nation — wander  among  the  shipping  of  the  crowded 
port,  and  see  "old  ocean  heave."  But  all  these  objects 
soon  lose  their  novelty,  and  with  it  much  of  their  attract- 
ive charms,  leaving  the  weary  traveler  possessed  of  few 
pleasures  in  comparison  of  his  numerous  discomforts. 

Before  commencing  a  long  journey  there  are  the  ex- 
pense, care,  and  toil  of  making  preparation.  Then  comes 
the  pain  of  parting  with  family  and  friends,  it  may  be,  to 
see  them  no  more.  Should  the  journey  be  prosperous 
and  end  in  a  safe  return,  still  it  will  not  be  performed 
without  corroding  care  and  sleepless  nights,  on  account  of 
the  home  interest,  especially  if  the  absence  be  long,  and 
the  tourist  unaccustomed  to  it.  Females,  particularly,  are 
liable,  under  such  circumstances,  to  become  "home-sick;" 
and  when  this  disease  once  gets  firmly  seated  on  the 
heart,  it  destroys  all  the  pleasure  of  traveling,  engrossing 
at  once  both  thought  and  feeling. 

The  inconveniences  and  difficulties  of  extended  jour- 
neys are  not  all  imaginary.  At  one  time  the  traveler  is 
oppressed  with  heat,  parched  with  feverish  thirst,  and 
nearly  suffocated  with  clouds  of  dust;  at  another  time  he 
is  stung  with  cold,  impeded  by  ice,  or  in  peril  from  the 
sweeping  current  of  the  swollen  stream.  Again  :  as  soon 
as  he  leaves  the  M'Adamized  road,  he  will  find  himself 


27*  MISCELLAKY. 

alternately  contending  with  rocky  hills  and  muddy  vales, 
with  a  little  sprinkling  of  Davy  Crocket's  railroad,  made 
by  laying  poles  crosswise  in  the  track  to  prevent  the  car- 
riage from  being  entirely  swamped.  It  is  said  that  riding 
on  these  causeways  is  good  exercise  for  an  invalid,  espe- 
cially one  of  congested  liver,  but  it  is  certainly  not  a  pleas- 
ant remedy.  To  these  commonplace  evils,  which  discount 
so  largely  from  the  pleasures  of  travel,  must  be  added 
exposure  to  inclement  weather.  It  is  extremely  unpleas- 
ant to  grope  all  night  in  darkness,  exposed  to  a  chilly 
atmosphere,  and  the  more  so  if  pelted  by  a  continuous 
storm  of  rain,  sleet,  or  snow;  for  such  wear  and  tear  upon 
a  passenger's  constitution  affects  his  spirit,  and  suggests 
thoughts  of  a  severe  illness,  where  he  would  be  at  the 
mercy  of  uninterested  strangers.  But  suppose  him  to 
escape  this,  still  he  is  subject  to  a  score  of  nameless  per- 
plexities which  must  be  borne,  because  they  can  not  be 
avoided. 

Among  the  trials  of  his  patience  are  those  which  arise 
from  delays  and  disappointed  expectation  of  getting  on 
his  journey.  A  freshet  may  carry  off  the  ferry  or  bridge, 
his  only  dependence  for  crossing  some  river,  or  he  may 
be  journeying  where  there  is  none  to  lose,  and  find  him- 
self at  a  dead  halt  till  the  flood  subside.  The  coach  may 
break  down  where  it  can  not  be  repaired,  or  the  boat  may 
get  aground  or  break  a  shaft,  and  leave  him  on  a  bleak 
sand-bar,  or  desolate  shore,  to  shift  for  himself.  What  is 
still  worse,  deception  will  be  palmed  on  him,  by  interested 
and  unprincipled  men.  Systematic  imposition  on  stran- 
gers, is  a  regular  part  of  the  trade  of  many  individuals 
and  companies,  whose  business  is  to  convey  passengers 
in  steamboats  and  stages.  The  writer  speaks  here 
from  woeful  experience,  and  may  be  indulged  in  giving 
one  or  two  examples,  commencing  with  a  trip  on  the  Ohio 
river. 


NOTES      OF     TRAVEL.  275 

According  to  the  printed  bills,  the  boat  will  leave  "this 
day  at  four  o'clock,"  and,  beside  the  bill,  a  positive  verbal 
promise  is  given  b)T  the  proper  officer  of  punctuality. 
Deceived  by  fair  speeches,  smoking  chimneys,  and  other 
appearances  of  preparation,  you  bring  your  baggage 
aboard,  and,  in  conformity  to  the  rules  of  the  cabin,  enter 
your  name,  with  the  full  expectation  of  presently  being 
under  way.  Toward  dark  they  blow  off  steam  and  ring 
the  bell,  as  if  about  to  clear;  but  it  proves  to  be  only  a 
maneuver  to  ascertain  whether  a  sufficient  number  of  pas- 
sengers can  be  obtained  to  make  a  profitable  trip.  They 
fail  to  appear,  the  fire  is  lowrered,  and  you  are  informed 
they  can  not  get  ready  to  leave  till  to-morrow  morning; 
and  if  you  really  get  off  by  to-morrow  night,  it  will  be 
well,  unless  they  are  forced  out  sooner  by  competition. 
Now,  this,  to  one  pressed  for  time  to  accomplish  the  object 
of  his  journey,  or  on  his  return  trip,  attracted  by  the  con- 
sideration of 

"Home,  home,  sweet,  sweet  home/' 

is  sufficient  to  put  the  virtue  of  patience  to  a  severe  test. 

Again:  on  leaving  this  floating  prison  you  hasten  to 
the  stage  office,  pay  the  fare,  and  are  pleased  to  read  on 
the  bills,  "Splendid  Troy-built  coaches,  first-rate  teams, 

steady  drivers,  good  accommodation,  and  through  in 

hours."  Congratulating  yourself  on  the  happy  change, 
you  set  off  with  fine  spirit,  in  a  fine  new  coach,  drawn  by 
elegant  grays,  and  manned  by  a  decent-looking  coachman  ; 
but,  alas !  shortly  after  you  are  transferred  to  an  old  worn- 
out  establishment,  with  ragged  cushions,  broken  doors, 
polluted  in  appearance,  drawn  by  old  Ring-bone,  Splint- 
leg,  Club-foot,  and  Wheezer,  which  ought  to  have  been 
discharged  from  the  service  years  ago.  The  driver,  de« 
graded  by  dissipation  and  crime,  is  more  to  be  pitied  than 
his  team.  He  stops  at  every  tavern,  except  those  which 
hang  out  the  temperance  sign  ;  and  when  stimulated  till 


276  MISCELLANY. 

he  feels  his  own  importance,  but  can  no  longer  observe 
the  difference  between  a  level  plain  and  a  steep  ascent, 
loses  his  temper,  and  curses  and  beats  his  jaded  team  for 
the  mere  love  of  the  cruel  sport. 

Some  relief  is  afforded  the  distressed  passenger  from 
his  unpleasant  situation  for  a  few  minutes,  by  arriving  at 
the  dinner  stand,  where  he  expects  not  only  to  be  provided 
with  a  fresh  team  and  sober  driver,  but  also  to  be  re- 
freshed with  some  of  the  good  accommodation  referred  to 
in  the  bill.  However,  the  stage  is  behind  the  time,  and 
wrhat  was  lost  on  the  last  drive  must  be  made  up  on  the 
next;  and  before  the  hungry  passenger  gets  fairly  engaged 
at  his  dinner,  the  impatient  driver  blows  his  horn  as  the 
signal  for  starting ;  so  that,  in  the  end,  the  good  accom- 
modation turns  out  to  be  a  very  hasty  meal,  only  half 
finished,  on  cold  scraps  and  bread  about  half  baked. 
They  who  keep  stage  passengers  know  that  the  customer 
is  compelled  to  stop  where  the  stage  does,  and  to  eat  such 
as  is  set  before  him,  or  starve.  JSTow,  all  this  would  be 
quite  tolerable,  if  the  expense  was  in  keeping  with  the 
quality  of  the  dinner  and  the  time  allowed  for  eating  it — 
in  a  word,  if  the  pay  was  in  proportion  to  the  accommo- 
dation, after  the  manner  of  a  public  house  kept  by  an 
honest  lady  of  whom  I  heard  in  the  south-west,  wThose  bill 
of  fare  and  prices  wTas  in  this  laconic  style:  "Corn-bread 
and  hominy  doings,  two  bits;  flour-bread  and  chicken 
doings,  four  bits."  But  not  so,  generally,  at  stage  houses. 
Whatever  the  fare  may  be,  the  bill  is  always  up  to  high- 
water  mark.  But  let  that  pass — we  are  off  again,  and 
are  making  some  headway. 

After  dinner  is  a  dull  hour  of  the  day,  especially  to 
those  who  have  lost  rest  and  sleep,  and  the  passengers  are 
soon  dozing ;  but  their  pleasure  is  very  short-lived,  for 
before  they  have  half  finished  their  nap  they  are  roused 
by  a  modest  request  of  the  driver  to  get  out  and  foot  it 


NOTES     OF     T  E  A  V  E  L  .  277 

up  a  long  ascent,  or  over  a  layer  of  black  loam  too  deep 
for  the  loaded  stage  to  pass  through,  and  rather  soft  for 
comfortable  walking.  It  is  not  a  little  provoking,  after 
paying  for  the  privilege  of  riding,  to  be  constantly  afflicted 
with  wet  and  muddy  feet,  by  being  obliged  to  walk  over 
every  difficult  piece  of  road.  Still  it  might  be  worse,  far 
worse ;  for  sometimes  the  stage  gets  wrong  side  up,  and 
throws  the  passengers  all  in  a  heap ;  then  all  whose  bones 
are  not  fractured,  will  be  expected  to  take  hold  with  the 
driver  and  assist  in  replacing  it,  which  is  not  remarkably 
pleasant,  to  say  the  least,  especially  if  the  coach  be  very 
muddy.  After  all  these  difficulties  you  may  get  through, 
though  long  after  the  time  appointed,  and  have  at  least 
this  consolation  left,  you  are  still  alive,  which,  under  all 
the  circumstances,  is  great  cause  of  gratitude. 

Exhausted  with  such  scenes  of  toil,  vexation,  and  expo- 
sure, the  weary  traveler  longs  for  a  change,  such  as  will 
afford  opportunity  of  rest  and  slumber.  Well,  here  is  the 
steam  packet  to  convey  him  over  the  lake,  or  round  the 
coast.  This  would  be  delightful,  only  for  a  few  consider- 
ations, such  as  liability  of  being  wrecked  by  storm,  as  in 
case  of  the  Home,  or  destruction  by  fire,  of  boat  and  life, 
as  in  case  of  the  Lexington,  or  by  explosion,  as  in  case 
of  the  Moselle.  It  is  true,  we  may  hope  to  escape  such 
fearful  calamities  as  these,  when  voyaging  on  the  deep; 
but  there  is  one  scourge  which  seldom  suffers  any  to  pass 
unhurt;  namely,  tho  seasickness,  the  very  thought  of 
which  is  appalling  for  weeks  after.  It  is  the  most  deathly 
feeling  which  I  ever  experienced,  and  I  can  scarcely  con- 
ceive how  any  one  could  live  through  it  in  crossing  the 
main  ocean. 

Under  the  prostrating  influence  of  this  loathsome  disor- 
der, the  voyager  longs  for  the  port  of  destination,  that  he 
may  once  more  stand  erect  on  solid  ground,  and  feel  com- 
posed.    But    when    he    arrives,   trouble    of  another    sort 

24 


278  MISCELLANY. 

meets  him ;  before  he  clears  the  deck,  he  is  surrounded 
by  a  swarm  of  porters,  ravenous  as  hungry  wolves,  clam- 
oring and  scrambling  for  his  baggage,  as  if  the  life  of 
each  depended  on  obtaining  a  few  cents  for  the  service  of 
carrying  it  to  the  hotel;  and  should  it  once  get  out  of  his 
sight  for  one  minute,  he  might  think  himself  fortunate  if 
he  ever  saw  or  heard  of  it  again. 

Some  of  these  difficulties,  it  is  admitted,  may  be  avoided 
by  traveling  in  a  private  conveyance,  as  far  as  that  mode 
is  practicable,  which,  on  some  accounts,  is  much  prefer- 
able ;  but  it  will  require  more  sacrifice  of  time,  impose  on 
you  much  more  care  and  fatigue  upon  the  whole,  and, 
taking  the  wear  and  tear  of  horses  and  carriage  into  the 
account,  will  not  in  any  wise  reduce  the  expense. 

These  are  some  of  the  ordinary  discomforts  of  journey- 
ing. While  suffering  them  you  very  soon  get  clear  of 
hundreds  of  dollars,  perhaps  earned  by  the  toil  and  care 
of  years,  and  which  might  be  laid  out  to  much  better 
advantage.  The  time  is  gone,  the  money  is  gone,  your 
wrardrobe  is  exhausted,  your  business  neglected  and  de- 
ranged ;  and  what  is  gained  by  this  sacrifice  ?  Why,  a 
momentary  gratification  of  curiosity,  and  the  honor  of 
saying  you  have  been  abroad,  have  traveled  through 
more  states  than  one,  and  have  seen  a  few  things  which 
some  of  your  neighbors  have  not  seen.  The  pleasure  of 
all  this,  if  there  be  any  left  after  deducting  the  discomfort, 
is  too  dearly  bought.     It  costs  more  than  it  comes  to. 

To  perform  a  journey  when  business,  health,  or  duty 
requires  it,  is  certainly  well  enough ;  but  to  me  it  is  mat- 
ter of  wonder  that  any  one  should  ever  travel  for  pleasure, 
more  especially  any  one  who  has  any  practical  knowledge 
on  the  subject. 

In  reference  to  a  Christian,  the  wrorst  of  the  story  re- 
mains to  be  told.  Traveling  is  unfavorable  to  religious 
prosperity.     It  divides  the  attention  and  dissipates  serious 


K  v  T  K  3      0  F     1  B  A  \  279 

thought — breaks  off  the  regular  course  of  duty,  depriving 
the  Christian  traveler  of  the  means  of  grace  and  the 
society  of  his  religious  friends.  Beside,  it  throws  him 
into  taverns,  steamboats,  and  stages,  crowded  chiefly  with 
the  careless,  fashionable,  dissipated,  and  profane,  with 
whom  it  is  difficult  to  be  associated  in  any  way,  except 
for  the  purpose  of  imparting  religious  instruction,  without 
sustaining  spiritual  loss.  On  this  subject  I  can  speak, 
with  the  more  confidence,  a  word  of  admonition  to  my 
Christian  friends,  having  proved  by  experience  the  truth 
of  what  I  say.  There  is  nothing  better  for  the  Christian 
than  to  be  generally  at  home,  "Not  slothful  in  business; 
fervent  in  spirit;  serving  the  Lord."  And  now,  if  any 
of  my  readers,  who  are  tired  of  home,  and  anxious  to 
make  an  experiment  of  the  blessedness  of  packing  trunks 
and  band-boxes  over  mountains,  to  visit  places  of  fash- 
ionable resort,  etc.,  can  profit  aught  by  these  few  hints 
from  one  who  has  journeyed  much — not,  indeed,  for 
pleasure  or  profit,  but  on  duty — they  are  heartily  welcome, 
and  the  object  of  this  article  will  be  accomplished. 


LAND  TRIP  FROM  ST.  LOUIS  TO  TEXAS. 

LETTER  I. 
Brother  Elliott, — Remembering  your  oft-repeated 
request  to  let  you  hear  from  me  on  this  division  of  the 
work,  I  have  at  last  concluded  to  write  out  briefly  a  few 
incidents  of  our  land  journey  from  St.  Louis  to  Texas; 
but,  from  the  circumstances  in  which  I  am  placed,  they 
must  necessarily  be  few,  short,  and  irregular  as  to  the 
times  of  forwarding  them.  Writing  these  scraps  may 
teep  our  brethren  advised  that  the  south-west  corner  of 
our  Lord's  vineyard   is   not  only  needy  and   worthy  of 


2S0  MISCELLANY. 

more  help,  but  also  easy  of  access  by  all  willing  laborers, 
-whether  preachers  or  Sabbath  school  teachers,  who  may 
be  influenced  by  considerations  of  usefulness.  In  the 
mean  time,  I  may,  perhaps,  be  indulged  by  yourself  and 
others  in  a  passing  remark  on  any  occurrence  of  interest 
which  may  fall  under  our  observation,  however  small,  for 
the  history  of  human  life  is  made  up  of  little  things. 

Since  I  left  home,  on  the  6th  of  last  August,  I  have,  by 
the  Divine  blessing,  been  enabled  to  meet  my  engagements 
at  the  Rock  River,  Illinois,  and  Missouri  conferences.  My 
route  was  through  Indiana,  Illinois,  and  partially  through 
Wisconsin  and  Iowa  territories  and  the  north-east  part  of 
Missouri ;  but  of  that  part  of  my  tour  I  made  no  notes,  and 
will,  therefore,  decline  giving  any  particulars  respecting 
it.  When  in  Platteville,  Wisconsin  territory,  last  August, 
I  entered  into  an  agreement  to  meet  certain  brethren  at 
St.  Louis,  after  the  session  of  the  Missouri  conference,  to 
form  a  little  party,  and  proceed  on  to  Texas  together, 
which  plan  we  are  now  executing.  Our  company  consists 
of  Rev.  John  Clark,  his  wife,  and  little  son,  John  Emory, 
about  nine  years  old ;  Rev.  Josiah  W.  Whipple,  and  my- 
self. Brothers  Clark  and  Whipple  are  regular  itinerant 
Methodist  preachers,  noble  spirits  who  volunteered  to  go 
as  regular  transfers  from  the  Rock  River  to  Texas  confer- 
ence, for  the  sole  object  of  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the 
grace  of  God  in  that  new  and  interesting  republic.  No 
other  consideration,  I  am  satisfied,  could  have  induced 
them  to  tear  away  from  their  homes  and  country,  amidst 
the  tears  and  remonstrance  of  friends,  numerous  and 
strong,  and  encounter  the  toils  and  perils  of  a  neAv  and 
distant  field  of  labor.  We  have  one  covered  wao-on,  hung 
on  elliptic  springs,  with  baggage  racks  and  all  the  neces- 
sary fixtures  to  render  it  a  convenient  and  comfortable 
traveling  wagon  for  a  family,  which  is  drawn  by  two  sub- 
stantial horses,  and  carries  brother  and  sister  Clark,  and 


N  0  T  E  8      U  F     T  B  A  VEL.  2S1 

brother  Whipple,  and  some  five  hundred  pounds  of  bag- 
gage. Besides  this  we  have  a  common-size  buggy,  drawn 
by  one  horse,  which  carries  young  Clark,  myself  and  bag- 
gage, and  some  light  articles  for  every-day  use.  Our 
buggy  affords  us  a  comfortable  conveyance ;  and  though 
without  a  cover,  it  is  on  that  account  the  more  safe  and 
convenient  in  difficult  road.  Our  outfit  for  this  journey 
was  partly  arranged  by  brother  Clark  before  he  left  his 
home  at  Mount  Morris,  Illinois ;  and  completed  when  we 
met  in  St.  Louis.  It  includes  a  markee,  or  linen  tent, 
glass  lamp,  ax,  hammer,  tea-kettle,  frying-pan,  coffee-mill, 
patent  coffee  boiler,  water  bucket,  provision  basket,  plates, 
knives  and  forks,  spoons,  etc.  It  is  well  for  us  that  brother 
Clark  labored  some  years  as  missionary  among  Indians  at 
Green  Bay,  for  no  one  but  a  practical  missionary,  accus- 
tomed to  journey  through  desolate  regions,  could  have 
thought  of  so  many  little  notions  adapted  to  our  wants, 
and  no  one  but  the  wife  of  a  practical  missionary  could 
use  them  to  such  good  purpose  as  does  sister  Clark. 
We  laid  in  but  a  small  store  of  provisions  before  we 
started,  and  for  some  time  after  scarce  found  use  for  that ; 
being  in  a  settled  country  and  among  hospitable  people, 
we  had  no  occasion  to  provide  for  ourselves,  except  the 
noon  luncheon. 

We  left  St.  Louis,  Tuesday,  October  19th,  passed  the  vil- 
lage of  Carondelett,  and  some  fifteen  miles  from  the  city 
crossed  the  Merrimack  river  on  a  beautiful  gravel  ford, 
where  the  stream  was  perhaps  three  feet  deep  and  some 
eighty  or  one  hundred  yards  wide.  It  was  quite  agreea- 
ble, after  traveling  over  a  muddy  road,  occasioned  by  rain 
the  previous  day  and  night,  to  have  our  wheels  and 
horses  thoroughly  washed  with  so  little  trouble.  We  were 
kindly  entertained  that  night  ten  miles  from  the  river  by 
brother  Hunt  and  family,  who  resided  in  Marietta  circuit, 
Ohio  conference,  when  I  labored  there  in  1817.  Only 
24* 


282  MISCELLANY. 

one  inconvenience  was  experienced  here.  Sister  Clark, 
by  sleeping  in  an  open,  unfinished  room,  took  cold,  and 
suffered  some  in  consequence  of  it.  The  next  morning, 
five  miles  onward,  Ave  descended  a  large  hill  and  came 
down  into  Herculaneum,  a  village  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Mississippi,  above  the  mouth  of  a  creek,  and  so  sur- 
rounded by  water  and  hills  as  to  remind  us  of  the  pro- 
phetic description,  "The  city  shall  be  low  in  a  low  place. M 
Crossing  the  creek  on  an  old  ferry-boat,  which  reached 
from  shore  to  shore,  and  served  as  a  substitute  for  a 
bridge,  we  turned  up  the  creek  under  a  bold  cliff  covering 
our  left,  on  the  top  of  which  was  an  old  shot-house  and 
furnace,  so  situated  on  the  point  of  a  projecting  rock  that 
shot  might  fall  some  one  hundred  feet,  more  or  less,  into 
a  reservoir  at  the  base.  But  the  furnace  was  cold,  the 
house  inclined  to  one  side  and  in  a  dilapidated  condition. 
The  appearance  of  this  place  and  Carondelett  above, 
afforded  evidence  of  the  truth  of  what  we  heard  remarked 
by  some  citizens  of  the  country,  that  the  villages  in  south 
Missouri,  which  were  settled  chiefly  by  French  Catholics, 
were  in  a  declining  state.  St.  Genevieve,  for  example,  is 
said  to  be  of  less  importance  now  than  it  was  twenty 
years  ago,  notwithstanding  the  advantage  of  steamboat 
navigation.  Leaving  this  creek,  we  ascended  a  very  diffi- 
cult hill  where  the  road  was  steep,  sideling,  and  badly 
washed,  and  still  neglected;  and  nine  miles  from  Hercu- 
laneum dined  at  Dr.  Steel's,  spent  a  pleasant  hour,  had 
prayers  with  the  family,  and  baptized  a  child  of  German 
parents  at  their  special  request.  In  the  evening  we  passed 
Valley's  Mines,  eleven  miles  from  the  Doctor's;  and  six 
miles  beyond  we  reached  Mrs.  Poston's  after  dark,  where 
we  met  with  a  kind  reception  and  excellent  accommoda- 
tion. This  lady,  her  daughter,  and  son,  are  members  of 
our  Church.  The  main  difficulty  of  traveling  in  this  part 
of   Missouri  is  to  find  out  your  proper  road,  for  at  the 


NOTES     OF     TBATEL.  2S3 

numerous  forks  there  is  seldom  any  direction  to  guide  the 
stranger  on  his  way.  When  Ave  inquired  for  the  reason 
of  this,  the  answer  was,  "We  often  put  up  finger-boards, 
but  ill-disposed  persons  stone  them  down."  Next  morning 
we  hastened  to  Farmington,  thirteen  miles,  expecting  to 
meet  a  congregation,  and  called  on  old  brother  David 
Murphey,  who  has  resided  on  his  farm  adjoining  town 
about  thirty  years,  if  I  remember  right;  and  he  informed 
us  that  the  meeting  was  postponed  till  night,  with  a  view 
to  obtain  a  larger  congregation.  In  the  afternoon  he 
entertained  us  with  many  interesting  anecdotes  of  Bishop 
M'Kendree  and  Jesse  Walker,  who  used  to  make  his  house 
a  resting-place  after  their  excessive  toils  in  that  new  coun- 
try. His  narratives  of  early  Methodism  were  truly  inter- 
esting. In  brother  Murphey's  house,  while  waiting  for 
the  hour  of  public  service,  we  met  with  brother  Job  Law- 
rence, deacon  elect,  and  consecrated  him  to  that  office  in 
due  form.  The  evening  proved  stormy,  and  I  preached  a 
short  sermon  to  a  very  small  congregation  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  with  scarce  light  enough  to  discover 
whether  our  hearers  were  white  or  black;  and  brother 
Clark  followed  with  exhortation  and  prayer.  Farmington 
is  a  small  village,  and  the  county  seat  of  St.  Francois, 
situated  in  the  best  neighborhood  of  land  we  have  seen 
south  of  Merrimack  river;  but  our  society,  enfeebled  by 
emigration,  have  no  chapel  here  of  their  own.  This  sheet 
is  well-nigh  full,  and  lest  I  weary  you  and  our  readers, 
will  desist  for  the  present. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Missouri,  October  22,  1841. 

LETTER   II. 
Brother  Elliott, — It  will  be  recollected  that  in  my 
first    communication    the    narrative    of   our   journey  was 
broken  off   at  Farmington.      From  thence  we  proceeded, 


2Stt  MISCELLANY. 

on  Friday,  22d  of  October,  to  Fredericktown,  Madison 
county,  distant  eighteen  miles,  where  a  two-days'  meeting 
had  been  appointed  in  view  of  our  visit.  On  Saturday 
morning  and  night  the  congregations  were  quite  small, 
owing,  it  was  said,  to  the  circuit  court  then  in  session, 
which  did  not  adjourn  till  late  that  evening;  but  on  Sab- 
bath day  our  little  chapel  was  well  filled  with  attentive 
hearers,  yet  nothing  of  special  interest  occurred.  During 
the  meeting,  we  were  comfortably  provided  for  among  our 
Christian  friends.  My  lodging  was  at  brother  Tongue's, 
a  short  distance  out  of  town.  Among  the  new  acquaint- 
ances we  made  there,  were  the  Hon.  Judge  Cook,  presiding 
judge  of  the  district,  and  Mr.  Davis,  a  respectable  member 
of  the  bar,  both  citizens  of  Cape  Girardeau  county,  and 
members  of  our  Church,  whose  character  and  example, 
as  we  were  informed  by  others,  exert  a  beautiful  moral 
and  religious  influence  in  the  country,  and  afford  addi- 
tional evidence  that  gentlemen  of  the  green-bag  profession 
may  be  experimental  and  practical  Christians.  While 
other  persons,  who  attended  court,  left  on  Sabbath  morn- 
ing, these  two  brethren  remained  and  worshiped  with  us 
all  day  like  Christians  who  know  their  duty  and  appreciate 
their  privileges.  Fredericktown  is  a  clever  inland  village, 
surrounded  by  the  second  body  of  good  land  we  have  seen 
in  south  Missouri,  and  is  only  a  few  miles  from  the  smelt- 
ing furnaces  of  the  lead  and  copper  mines,  which  we 
passed  on  our  way  thither.  From  this  place  to  St.  Louis 
is  about  ninety  miles. 

Monday,  25th,  we  lunched  at  Twelve  Mile  creek,  and 
lodged  with  Mr.  Short,  a  clever  Baptist,  on  reasonable 
terms,  having  traveled  twenty  miles.  Here  we  got  sum- 
mer grapes  of  a  good  quality,  which  grow  abundantly  in 
the  woods  around  the  farm  and  along  the  creek.  Excel- 
lent springs  of  water  appear  in  this  neighborhood;  the 
land  is  of  medium  quality,  and  mostly  vacant,  only  a  few 


NOTES     0  F     T  RAVEL.  285 

quarter  sections  being  entered  and  sealed  ;  and  deer  and 
small  game  are  plenty.  Still  they  have  a  school  in  oper- 
ation on  the  road-side,  near  Mr.  Short's,  and  Baptist 
preaching  in  his  house  once  a  month. 

Tuesday,  26th,  we  reached  Greenville,  the  county  seat 
of  Wayne,  a  small  village  on  St.  Francis  river,  having 
traveled  about  twenty  miles,  and  called  on  Mr.  Smith,  a 
native  of  New  York,  I  believe,  who  received  us  with  every 
expression  of  welcome,  and  entertained  us  in  the  best  style 
gratuitously,  recruited  our  little  store  of  provision,  and  let 
us  depart  in  peace  next  morning.  Mr.  Smith  owns  a  large 
tract  of  river  land  well  improved ;  and  though  not  a  pro- 
fessor of  relio-ion,  has  one  of  the  best  regulated  and  most 
interesting  families  we  have  met  with  in  all  our  travels, 
evincing  that  true  politeness  and  sterling  moral  worth 
may  be  cultivated  in  new  as  well  as  old  countries.  His 
house  is  one  of  the  traveling  preachers'  best  homes  in  this 
country. 

Wednesday,  27th,  we  took  our  dinner  on  the  south  bank 
of  Black  river,  perhaps  fourteen  miles  from  Greenville, 
out  of  our  own  provision  basket — rested  under  the  trees, 
and  drank  from  the  pure  stream  gliding  down  the  vale 
between  the  hills,  and  had  some  conversation  with  a  plain- 
looking  man,  who  said  he  was  one  of  a  large  company 
preparing  to  remove  from  the  south-east  part  of  Missouri 
to  the  north-east  part  of  Texas.  He  was  not  a  professor 
of  religion,  but  said  several  of  the  company  were  Meth- 
odists, and  brother  Clark  sent  word  to  them,  by  him,  to 
be  sure  to  take  certificates  of  their  membership,  and  not 
to  backslide  on  the  way,  but  join  the  Church  immedi- 
ately on  their  arrival  in  the  republic.  Eight  miles  more 
brought  us  to  sister  Scott's,  a  widow  lady,  who  was  from 
home,  but  her  sons  and  daughters  received  us  very  kindly. 
They  had  retreated  from  their  first  location  on  a  creek  to 
the  high  ground,  to  escape  the  ague,  and  lived   in    an 


BOO  MISCELLAS  Y  . 

unfinished  house,  but  made  us  as  comfortable  as  was  in 
their  power,  and  we  felt  satisfied  and  grateful. 

No  opportunity  offered  to  try  how  well  we  could  enter- 
tain ourselves  all  night  till  Thursday,  28th,  when,  foresee- 
ing we  should  reach  no  suitable  house  of  entertainment,  in 
the  evening  we  bought  corn  and  fodder,  and  pushed  on  in 
search  of  water.  About  dark  we  reached  a  beautiful 
tributary  stream  of  Black  river,  the  name  of  which  we 
did  not  know,  and  pitched  our  tent  under  a  large  cypress- 
tree  growing  immediately  on  its  bank,  the  spreading  boughs 
whereof  afforded  us  a  partial  shelter  from  light  showers 
of  rain  that  fell  while  we  were  making  preparation  for  the 
night.  After  taking  off  the  horses  and  securing  them  with 
halters  fastened  to  the  trees,  brother  Clark  plied  his  steel, 
flint,  and  spunk,  in  raising  a  fire,  while  brother  Whipple 
cut  tent-poles,  and  I  gathered  brush  and  drift-wood  for 
kindling.  This  done,  we  hung  on  the  tea-kettle;  and 
while  the  others  adjusted  the  tent,  etc.,  sister  Clark  pre- 
pared for  us  a  good  supper,  served  up  in  real  camp  style, 
which  we  all  enjoyed  with  more  than  common  pleasure. 
Several  companies  of  travelers  passed  our  camp  after  dark, 
seeking  their  night's  lodging.  One  of  them  was  quite  a 
procession  of  pack-horse  movers,  bound  for  south  Arkan- 
sas, if  they  liked  when  they  saw  it ;  otherwise  for  Texas. 
There  were  several  servants  among  them,  and  some  ap- 
pearance of  style,  from  which  we  judged  they  were  only 
the  advance  guard  going  on  to  make  preparation  to  receive 
the  wagons  and  families  behind.  We  find  the  spirit  of 
emigration  to  Texas  prevails  in  the  south-west  to  a  consid- 
erable extent.  Even  in  south  Missouri,  some  of  the  peo- 
ple speak  of  being  crowded,  and  think  of  moving  to  where 
they  can  have  outlet.  The  ground  was  full  damp  for 
comfortable  lodging,  in  consequence  of  rain  that  day ;  but 
we  spread  down  first  some  oil-cloths  or  pieces  of  painted 
canvas,  then  our  buffalo-skins    and   blankets,  using   our 


NOTES      OF     TRAVEL.  287 

carriage-cushions  for  pillows,  and  we  slept  in  peace  and 
safety.  Our  tent  is  partitioned  off  into  two  apartments, 
one  of  which  affords  ample  room  for  brother  Clark's 
family,  and  the  other  for  brother  Whipple  and  myself. 
It  was  here  I  began  to  realize  that  my  buffalo  robe  and 
Mackinaw  blanket  were  among  my  best  friends  on  this 
journey.  Before  we  left,  curiosity  led  us  to  run  a  line 
round  the  trunk  of  the  stately  tree  under  whose  branches 
we  rested,  and  found  its  circumference  to  be  twenty-four 
feet,  as  accurately  as  we  could  measure  without  an  exact 
rule.  This  place  we  called  Camp  Cypress.  At  the  hour 
of  offering  up  the  evening  and  morning  sacrifice,  we  had 
family  worship,  and  like  Jacob,  when  he  had  a  stone  for 
his  pillow  in  the  wilderness,  felt  that  the  Lord  was  in  that 
place. 

While  here  we  saw,  for  the  first  time  on  this  journey, 
large  flocks  of  paroquets  passing  over  and  occasionally 
lighting  on  the  trees  around  us.  They  are  a  small  species 
of  parrot,  something  less  than  pigeons,  with  plumage 
mostly  green,  but  exhibiting  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow ; 
their  greatest  strength  is  in  their  yellow,  hooked  beak,  with 
which  they  can  sever  small  branches  of  fruit  trees ;  they 
live  chiefly  on  small  grain  and  burs,  and  sleep  in  hollow 
trees,  hanging  by  the  point  of  the  bill.  Paroquets  are 
noisy  birds,  but  their  notes  are  not  melodious;  yet,  on 
account  of  their  superior  beauty,  they  are  often  domesti- 
cated, which  is  very  easily  done.  Two  of  these  birds  were 
pets  in  my  father's  family  on  Kanawha  river,  nearly  forty 
years  ago,  and  were  useful  in  destroying  the  burs.  After 
ranging  the  fields  and  forest  all  day,  they  regularly  re- 
turned to  their  resting-place  in  the  evening,  which  was  the 
6ide  of  a  tall,  cotton  basket,  where  they  slept,  hanging  by 
the  beak  to  one  of  the  splits.  You  shall  hear  again  from 
Yours,  respectfully,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Wayxe  county,  Missouri,  October  28,  1841. 


288  MISCELLANY. 

LETTER  III. 
Brother  Elliott, — As  we  are  not  land-jobbers,  nor 
going1  on  a  tour  of  observation,  it  will  not  be  expected  of 
me  to  say  much  of  the  country ;  yet  I  would  like  to  afl'ord 
some  information  for  the  benefit  of  our  missionaries  who 
may  hereafter  remove  to  Arkansas,  or  Texas,  by  this 
route.  And  before  I  take  leave  of  Missouri,  I  would  just 
say,  our  road  from  St.  Louis  to  the  southern  boundary  of 
the  state  passes  chiefly  over  sterile  hills,  some  of  which 
are  quite  rocky,  and  the  good  land  lies  mostly  on  the 
creeks  and  small  rivers ;  and  on  our  route  it  is  all  a  tim- 
bered country.  What  I  saw,  in  1839,  of  the  land  north 
of  Missouri  river,  is  generally  preferable  to  what  we  have 
seen  south  of  it.  The  road  is  often  narrow,  sideling, 
rocky,  stumpy,  and  hilly,  but  free  from  swamp,  and 
therefore  passable.  On  the  morning  of  Friday,  29th, 
about  fifty  miles  from  Greenville,  we  crossed  the  Mis- 
souri line,  entered  the  state  of  Arkansas,  and  immediately 
after  took  the  ferry-boat  over  Current  river,  at  Dr.  Pit- 
man's, the  place  formerly  known  by  the  name  of  Hix's 
ferry ;  and  in  the  evening  camped  some  thirteen  miles 
beyond  the  river,  a  short  distance  from  the  road,  back  of  a 
field,  on  the  bank  of  a  large  creek  called  Fourche  de  Mass — 
pronounced  Foosh  de  Maugh.  Mr.  Johnson,  who  occu- 
pied the  premises,  not  only  gave  us  leave  to  camp  and 
gather  sticks  for  our  fire,  but  kindly  went  and  aided  us  in 
selecting  a  pleasant  place  on  which  to  pitch  our  tent.  We 
chose  rather  a  romantic  site  on  the  point  of  a  sloping 
ridge,  just  in  the  rear  of  projecting  rocks,  the  strata  of 
which  so  receded  one  over  another  as  to  afford  natural 
steps  to  and  from  the  water's  edge.  The  evening  was 
mild  and  calm ;  the  full  moon  shone  brightly,  our  log  fire 
looked  cheerful,  and  all  the  company  were  in  fine  glee, 
except  brother  Whipple,  who  was  suffering  under  a  severe 


NOTES      OF     TRAVEL.  289 

attack  of  sick  headache,  of  which,  however,  he  was 
relieved  by  a  comfortable  night's  sleep.  It  is  true,  our 
wheat  loaf  was  exhausted,  and  all  efforts  to  obtain  flour 
had  failed,  but  we  had  warm  corn  hoe-cake,  fried  ham, 
butter,  eggs,  sweet  potatos,  coffee,  and  Boston  crackers ; 
and  considered  ourselves  among  the  best  livers  in  the 
country.  We  did  not,  however,  pretend  to  keep  fashion- 
able hours,  and  as  soon  as  we  could  say  prayers  and  make 
ready,  laid  us  down  and  rested  to  purpose. 

Our  design  was  to  reach  Jackson  the  next  day,  and 
preach  there  on  Sabbath ;  but  a  wise  Providence  ordered 
otherwise.  About  midnight  the  weather  changed ;  a  gale 
sprang  up  and  brought  clouds  and  rain,  which  pelted  our 
thin  habitation  the  balance  of  the  night,  and  nearly  all 
next  day,  so  that  wre  could  scarcely  leave  our  tent  at 
all  without  getting  wet.  Much  relief  was  experienced 
by  putting  up  a  Russia  duck  awning  between  the  tent 
and  fire,  that  afforded  a  shelter  under  which  to  sit  and 
eat.  Our  chief  difficulty  was  from  smoke,  which  occa- 
sionally drove  in  with  such  violence  as  to  affect  our  eyes 
severely,  and  sometimes  force  us  out  into  the  rain  to  get  a 
good  breath.  Here,  and  in  this  condition,  we  expected  to 
remain  till  Monday  ;  and  in  viewT  of  that  conclusion  brother 
Whipple  rode  some  miles  in  the  afternoon,  without  a  sad- 
dle, to  ascertain  whether  we  could  obtain  a  congregation 
any  where  in  that  region  to  hear  us  preach  on  Sabbath. 
While  he  was  gone,  brother  Clark  chopped  wood  to  avoid 
the  sin  of  gathering  sticks  on  the  Lord's  day.  About  this 
time,  our  camp  was  visited  by  a  youth,  nearly  a  man  in 
years  and  size,  on  the  singular  errand,  as  he  said,  of  buy- 
ing sugar.  We  did  not  keep  the  article  on  sale,  and  could 
not  accommodate  him  ;  but  soon  found  him  better  employ- 
ment. Some  of  the  logs  chopped  off  were  very  heavy: 
brother  Clark  placed  a  lever  under  the  forepart,  put  the 
sturdy  youth  at  one  end  of  the  lever,  and  myself  at  the 
9& 


290  MISCELLANY. 

other,  and  taking  the  tail-end  of  the  log  himself,  we  put 
forth  our  strength,  straightened,  and  marched  into  camp. 
This  operation  was  repeated  till  we  had  collected  an  ample 
store  of  fuel  for  the  Sabbath.  This  done,  we  commenced 
shaving  and  other  preparations  for  the  day  of  rest,  when 
all  our  plans  were  suddenly  thrown  into  confusion. 
Brother  Whipple  returned,  and  brought  with  him  old 
brother  Spikes,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  for  some 
ten  years  past  a  citizen  of  Arkansas,  who  insisted  on  our 
decamping  and  going  home  with  him  so  kindly  and  earn- 
estly, we  had  to  yield  to  his  entreaty.  It  was  after  four 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  we  changed  our  plan  for  the  night: 
all  possible  haste  was  made  in  packing  up  and  striking 
tent;  the  rain  still  coming  down  upon  us  with  increased 
force.  About  a  quarter  past  five,  we  bowed  out  from 
Camp  Fourche  de  Mass,  and  reached  our  new  quarters, 
three  miles  off,  with  some  difficulty,  after  dark.  The 
incessant  showers  of  rain  on  the  Sabbath  rendered  it 
impracticable  to  collect  any  congregation.  We  sang  and 
prayed  at  the  interment  of  a  neighbor's  child  on  brother 
Spikes's  premises,  but  had  no  preaching.  Monday  we 
judged  it  prudent  to  lay  by,  in  order  to  dry  our  tent,  and 
replenish  our  store  of  provisions.  Brother  Whipple  went 
to  mill  and  bought  flour,  and  while  sister  Clark  kneaded 
and  baked,  brother  Clark  made  us  a  portable  table  out  of 
four  new  clapboards,  shaved  and  jointed,  which  we  carry 
on  the  baggage-rack  without  any  trouble ;  the  legs  and 
frame,  consisting  of  four  small  forks  and  two  poles  laid 
across,  we  can  procure  at  any  camping-place  in  five  min- 
utes, and  the  table  is  complete.  As  to  the  cloth,  we  need 
none ;  when  the  boards  become  greasy  they  are  easily 
washed.  Brother  Whipple's  friends,  before  he  left  home, 
presented  him  with  a  rifle  and  shot-gun,  which  he  accepted 
for  the  sake  of  the  small  game  in  this  new  country.  He 
is  what  the  hunters  call  "a  sure  shot"  with  the  rifle,  and 


NOTES     OF     TEAVEL.  291 

among  lianas  a  line  lot  of  squirrels  and  a  fat  rabbit  were 
here  added  to  our  supplies.  These,  parboiled  for  the 
convenience  of  carrying,  made  us  line   camp  provisions. 

Tuesday,  November  2d,  Ave  crossed  a  small,  rapid  river, 
called  Eleven  Pines,  because  that  number  of  pine-trees 
grow  around  the  head  spring  of  it,  as  we  were  informed. 
In  the  afternoon,  we  passed  through  Jackson,  a  small 
town,  and  formerly  the  seat  of  justice  for  Lawreuce 
county,  and,  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond,  camped  on  the 
north  bank  of  Spring  river.  While  brother  Whipple  went 
with  the  buggy  across  the  river  in  search  of  horse  proven- 
der, we  raised  a  great  brush-fire  against  the  fallen  trunk 
of  a  large  sycamore,  and  when  rearing  our  tent  before  it 

the  owner  of  the  land,  Mr.  S ,  rode  by,  called  at  the 

camp,  and  remarked  we  had  a  fine  fire.  We  asked  if 
he  had  any  objection  to  its  being  on  his  land,  or  kindled 
with  his  wood?  He  replied,  "Not  any;"  and  he  would 
be  glad  if  all  the  timber  on  his  bottom  land  was  re- 
moved ;  as  well  he  might,  for  it  was  heavy  clearing. 
On  learning  that  we  were  preachers  going  to  Texas,  he 
invited  us  to  his  house ;  but  not  feeling  inclined  to  repack 
and  turn  back,  we  declined  accepting  the  invitation.  Here 
we  found  our  small  fry,  and  other  fresh  provisions,  excel- 
lent fare,  spent  the  night  pleasantly,  and  called  the  place 
Camp  Sycamore. 

Wednesday,  3d,  having  lost  some  time  in  the  morning, 
getting  our  horses  shod,  and  some  after  we  started,  by 
losing  the  tea-kettle  and  having  to  send  back  for  it,  we 
only  gained  seventeen  miles.  In  the  afternoon  we  passed 
through  Smithville,  the  new  county  seat  of  Lawrence,  and 
in  the  evening  camped  on  the  south  bank  of  Strawberry 
creek.  Here  we  improved  our  lodging  by  filling  the  tent 
with  dry  leaves  before  we  laid  down  our  bedding.  While 
at  Camp  Strawberry,  we  killed  young  squirrels,  which, 
with  some  birds  obtained  on  the  way,  made  us  an  excel- 


292  MISCELLANY. 

lent  pot-pie;  none  of  your  fashionable  articles,  Doctor, 
baked  in  plates,  but  a  real  family  pot-pie,  such  as  our 
mothers  made  in  days  of  yore,  and  good  enough  for 
missionaries  on  their  way  to  Texas. 

Thursday,  we  agreed  to  take  the  upper,  usually  called 
the  new  road ;  drove  on  till  one  o'clock,  and  came  to  one 
of  the  transparent  streams  of  water  which  abound  in  this 
country;  and  raising  a  fire,  dined  on  a  quail,  a  young 
squirrel  roasted,  and  the  balance  of  the  pot-pie.  While 
there,  a  boy  came  by  who  could  not  tell  us  what  was  the 
name  of  the  stream,  or  whether  it  had  any,  and  we  agreed 
to  call  it  Lunch  creek.  Soon  after  we  left  this  place,  we 
ascended  a  dry  ridge,  at  the  summit  of  which  we  came 
suddenly  in  view  of  one  of  the  beauty  spots  of  nature; 
an  assemblage  of  sand-rocks,  resembling  in  form  a  group 
of  ancient  pyramids:  some  of  them  were  quite  large. 
The  surface,  except  where  it  was  covered  with  moss,  was 
exceeding  white,  and,  shaded  by  a  forest  of  thrifty  oaks, 
presented  a  commanding  appearance.  Some  of  them,  by 
the  action  of  the  rain,  had  natural  steps,  and,  being 
broader  at  the  base  than  the  summit,  were  easily  ascended. 
We  stood  on  one  of  the  largest,  being,  as  Ave  judged,  some 
sixteen  feet  high,  and  observed  an  excavation  on  the  top, 
which  would  probably  contain  a  bushel  of  water :  whether 
it  was  formed  by  the  operation  of  nature,  or  the  hand  of 
savage  man,  could  not  be  determined.  From  this  position 
we  counted  twenty  of  these  singular  formations  of  the 
larger  size,  beside  many  smaller  ones,  in  the  space  of 
about  one  acre  of  ground.  The  site  affords  a  command- 
ing view  overlooking  a  farm  on  the  north-west.  There 
was  not  a  cloud  in  the  heavens,  but  a  lively  breeze, 
rustling  through  the  leaves  and  gently  moving  the  unbro- 
ken forest,  added  solemnity  to  the  scene.  It  was  enough 
to  inspire  a  poet.  Fancy  was  called  into  requisition,  and 
we  indulged  in  speculation  on  the  suitableness  of  the  site 


N  OTKS     O  F     T  K  A  V  E  L  .  'J,J3 

for  a  park,  and  the  pleasure  of  .sitting  on  one  of  these  mon- 
uments to  observe  the  movements  and  study  the  nature 
of  the  deer  and  other  animals.  We  know  n<>  name  for  the 
place;  but  in  view  of  those  extraordinary  monuments  of 
nature,  I  shall  take  the  liberty  to  call  it  Monumental  Hill. 
For  some  distance  onward,  we  sawr  scattering  specimens 
of  the  same  kind  of  formation.  Our  expectation  was,  to 
stay  that  night  with  a  brother  Adams  on  our  road,  whose 
house  had  been  recommended  to  us  as  one  of  the  best 
places  in  the  country  for  entertainment;  but  when  we 
arrived,  his  house  was  unroofed  and  his  chamber  wdthout 
a  floor,  undergoing*  repairs;  and  of  course  he  could  not 
conveniently  shelter  us  ;  but  the  disappointment  was  not  a 
serious  matter:  he  sold  us  corn,  and  fodder,  and  chickens, 
and  gave  us  sweet  potatos  for  supper  and  breakfast.  We 
passed  on  a  half  of  a  mile  to  Cury's  run,  and  entertained 
ourselves  in  good  style,  on  a  quarter  section  of  Govern- 
ment land,  and  felt  as  independent  as  squatters  with  a  pre- 
emption right  and  peaceable  possession.  Brother  Adams 
came  down  to  our  camp  next  morning,  and  sold  to  brother 
Whipple  a  handsome  young  horse  for  a  circuit-nag  in 
Texas.  The  night  we  staid  there  wras  cold;  ice  was 
formed  in  our  water-bucket  within  a  fewr  yards  of  the  log 
lire.  However,  with  about  twenty  bushels  of  dry  leaves, 
our  blankets,  and  great  camp  fire,  we  got  through  quite 
comfortably. 

Friday,  5th,  we  reached  Bates ville,  the  seat  of  the 
Arkansas  conference,  where  we  met  a  welcome  reception, 
and  found  excellent  accommodation  among  our  Christian 
friends.  I  am  quartered  at  Colonel  Pelham's,  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  of  the  place,  Clerk  of  Independence  county, 
and  a  member  of  our  Church,  and  has  a  pious,  pleasant 
family.  Batesville  is  a  considerable  town  for  this  new 
country,  and  has  improved  greatly  since  I  was  here  in 
1836.  It  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  White  river, 
25* 


204c  MISCELLA  K  Y  . 

which  is  navigable  for  small  steamboats  a  part  of  the  year 
to  tills  place. 

AY  hat  we  have  seen  of  north  Arkansas,  on  this  tour,  is 
one  of  the  best  watered  countries  in  the  United  States, 
and  has  every  appearance  of  being  generally  healthy. 
The  upland  is  mostly  poor  oak  barrens,  and  the  hills  quite 
stony;  but  the  creek  and  river  lands  are  rich,  and  covered 
with  lofty  forest  trees.  The  climate  is  mild,  and  very 
pleasant.  Batesville  is  situated  between  thirty-five  and 
thirty-six  degrees  of  north  latitude.  As  to  the  people, 
they  are  quite  as  intelligent  in  Arkansas  as  in  other  new 
countries,  and  generally  as  well  disposed.  That  there  are 
some  desperadoes  in  Arkansas,  as  there  are  in  all  the 
states,  whose  fame  has  gone  abroad,  must  be  admitted; 
but  they  are  not  true  specimens  of  the  general  state  of 
society.  Wherever  I  have  been  in  this  state — and  I  have 
traveled  through  it  considerably — the  inhabitants  have 
uniformly  treated  me  not  only  civilly,  but  kindly,  and  in 
character  as  a  Christian  minister.  And  though  a  large 
proportion  of  them  are  not  professedly  religious,  many  are 
so  professedly  and  in  fact;  and  the  others  are  generally 
willing  to  hear  the  Gospel  preached.  Methodism  is  evi- 
dently making  some  progress  among  them.  Our  society 
have  erected  quite  a  handsome  brick  chapel  in  this  place. 
But  of  the  general  state  of  the  work  I  may  be  able  to 
speak  more  definitely  after  I  shall  have  heard,  in  confer- 
ence, the  reports  from  every  part.  So  far  we  have  had 
much  cause  of  gratitude  on  this  journey.  Providence  has 
favored  us  in  reference  to  good  weather  generally.  No 
calamity  has  befallen  us.  The  Lord  has  given  us  some 
favor  in  the  eyes  of  the  people,  and  our  health  has  been 
wonderfully  preserved.  Sister  Clark  has  been  for  many 
years  in  delicate  health;  but,  by  riding  moderately  each 
day  in  the  carriage,  and  the  morning  and  evening  exercise 
of    tent -keeping,    she    is   evidently   gaining   health   and 


NOTES      OF     TRAVEL.  295 

strength.  Brother  Whipple,  whose  health  was  very  poor 
before  he  started,  is  mending  rapidly.  Little  John,  who 
had  long  been  subject  to  chills,  is  becoming  strong  and 
hearty.  Brother  Clark  is  growing  fleshy ;  and  as  for 
myself,  though  I  have  no  occasion  to  be  any  fatter,  am 
nevertheless  gaining. 

This  letter  is  already  too  long,  yet  I  beg  indulgence 
till  I  make  one  small  addition.  In  most  of  our  older 
conferences  we  have  some  good  brethren  in  delicate 
health,  who  seem  to  think  themselves  unable  to  endure 
the  toils  and  exposures  of  an  itinerant  life,  and  under  the 
influence  of  mistaken  notions  of  self-preservation,  incline 
to  linger  about  those  places  where  roast  beef,  plum-pud- 
ding, and  preserves  abound  in  the  greatest  luxuriance ;  so 
that  it  would  not  be  marvelous  if  they  were  to  decline 
under  the  wasting  influence  of  dyspepsy,  hypochondria, 
ind  nervous  debility.  Now,  for  the  benefit  of  all  such 
young  preachers,  though  not  a  professor  of  the  healing 
art,  I  venture  to  make  this  prescription :  Let  them  form 
themselves  into  companies  of  two,  three,  or  four,  and  vol- 
unteer for  the  work  in  Arkansas  or  Texas  conference,  not 
to  float  down  the  river  pent  in  the  cabin  of  a  steamboat, 
but  to  travel  in  light  wagons,  such  as  will  carry  them- 
selves,  tents,  and  baggage:  let  them  camp  out;  kill,  roast, 
and  eat  wild  meat;  study  their  Bibles;  pray;  and  sleep 
with  their  feet  to  the  fire.  A  few  blankets  are  easily  car- 
ried; and  as  for  feathers,  every  oak  and  elm  produces 
abundance  of  such  as  would  be  most  healthy  for  them, 
and  which  they  can  have  for  the  trouble  of  gathering, 
One  such  campaign,  with  the  blessing  of  Providence, 
would  make  them  sound  men,  buoyant  in  spirit,  and  ready 
for  a  frontier  circuit,  or  mission,  where  they  might  have 
the  honor  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  poor,  and  of 
aiding  a  noble  band  of  brethren  in  their  efforts  to  save 
bouIs.     Who  will  get  ready  and  make  the  experiment  next 


296  M  I  S  C  K  L  L  A  N  Y  . 

fall?     Healthy  brethren  are  not  excluded  from  the  prir 

ileo-e  of  coming. 

Yours,  sincerely,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Batesville,  Arkansas,  Nov.  9,  1841. 

LETTER  IT. 
Brother  Elliott, — The  Arkansas  conference  com- 
menced its  sixth  session  at  Batesville,  November  10th,  in 
the  court-house,  the  same  building  in  which  it  first  organ- 
ized, November,  1836.  Very  few  of  the  original  mem- 
bers remain.  In  the  short  space  of  five  years  most  of 
them  have  disappeared  from  the  list  by  deaths,  locations, 
division  of  conference,  etc. ;  but  others  have  fallen  into 
the  breaking  ranks,  and  the  conference  has  nearly  doubled 
its  numbers,  having  now  about  forty-seven  names  on  the 
entire  list,  some  thirty  of  them  members,  and  the  balance 
probationers.  Their  geographical  boundary  is  extensive, 
embracing  the  state  of  Arkansas,  the  Missouri  territory 
south  of  the  Cherokee  line,  and  a  fraction  of  the  north- 
east corner  of  Texas.  To  cover  this  vast  extent  of  sur- 
face with  such  a  small  force,  we  have  necessarily  to  form 
our  circuits  something  after  the  primitive  model,  very 
large,  from  two  hundred  to  four  hundred  miles  round, 
and  leave  most  of  them  with  only  one  preacher;  conse- 
quently, in  many  instances,  the  people  have  preaching 
only  once  in  four  weeks,  in  some  circuits  once  in  six 
weeks,  and  in  others  once  in  two  or  three  weeks.  This 
lack  of  service  is  supplied,  to  a  limited  extent  only,  by 
local  preachers.  Still  they  are  a  choice  band  of  brethren, 
and  are  accomplishing  a  good  and  glorious  work,  both  in 
the  state  and  in  the  Indian  country,  especially  among  the 
Choctaws  and  Cherokees.  For  particulars  on  this  point, 
I  refer  any  who  may  feel  interested  to  the  printed  Minutes. 
The  Arkansas  band  of  itinerants  appear  to  be  firmly 
united  in  their  purpose  of  accomplishing  the  grand  object 


N  U  T  E  S     OF     I  BiVEL.  297 

of  the  Christian  ministry,  "to  spread  Scripture  holiness 
over  these  lands,"  and  they  evidently  gathered  fresh  vigor 
in  the  work  while  met  in  conference  to  report  the  result 
of  the  last  year's  labor.  On  Sabbath,  being  the  only  time 
I  had  opportunity  to  attend  preaching,  the  services  of  the 
sanctuary  were  refreshing  to  many.  The  spacious  chapel 
in  Batesville  on  that  day  was  crowded  with  people,  who 
appeared  to  be  intelligent,  and  deeply  interested.  That 
the  word  preached  took  effect,  was  abundantly  testified, 
by  fixed  attention,  general  solemnity,  showers  of  tears, 
and  numerous  responses  breaking  from  the  deepest  re- 
cesses of  the  heart.  The  colored  people  were  preached 
to  in  the  court-house  at  the  same  hours,  who  seemed  to 
enjoy  themselves  to  the  life. 

Monday  afternoon  some  of  the  brethren  w'ent  out  to 
hold  a  temperance  meeting;  and,  it  is  said,  about  seventy 
persons  signed  the  temperance  pledge,  in  addition  to  about 
eighty  that  had  signed  it  previously.  I  am  told  there  is 
but  one  liquor  establishment  left  in  Batesville,  and  it  is 
doubtful  whether  that  will  be  sustained  much  longer. 
After  the  conference  finally  adjourned  on  Monday  even- 
ing, the  missionary  anniversary  wras  celebrated  in  the 
chapel.  I  regretted  the  necessity  of  being  absent,  but 
was  happy  to  learn  they  had  a  meeting  of  much  interest, 
which  resulted  in  raising  over  8400,  which  was  certainly 
very  liberal  for  a  village  of  some  seven  hundred  inhabit- 
ants, these  hard  times. 

Now,  what  we  chiefly  need  in  this  country  is  a  strong 
reinforcement  of  efficient  traveling  preachers,  self-sacri- 
ficing men,  whose  sole  object  is  to  be  useful,  and  who,  in 
order  to  do  this,  are  willing  to  give  up  country,  home,  and 
friends,  travel  difficult  circuits,  labor  hard,  peril  their 
health,  and  receive  only  a  moderate  support:  in  a  word, 
men  who  count  not  their  lives  dear  to  themselves,  so 
..hey  may  finish  their  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry 


298  MISCELLANY. 

which  they  have  received  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the 
Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.  We  would  not  deceive  any 
brother.  They  who  come  to  labor  as  itinerants  in  Arkan- 
sas should  know  that  the  country  is  yet  comparatively 
new,  -Mid,  consequently,  that  chapels  are  scarce,  and  par- 
sonages are  scarcer;  that  the  currency  is  depreciated, 
which  renders  it  difficult  to  support  the  preachers  and  go 
on  to  erect  the  necessary  buildings ;  and  that  some  of  the 
circuits  are  situated  in  a  latitude  low  and  sickly,  though 
none  of  the  preachers  of  the  conference  have  died  the 
past  year.  Still,  to  such  as  are  willing  to  encounter  these 
difficulties,  there  is  not  a  more  ample  or  promising  field  of 
usefulness  in  our  extended  connection,  than  in  this  region 
of  country.  And  why  should  the  minister  of  Christ  feci 
afraid  to  serve  on  any  part  of  the  globe  where  duty  calls 
him,  or  to  remain  till  his  work  is  done?  Paul  was  willing 
not  only  to  suffer  at  Jerusalem,  but,  if  needful,  to  dio 
there  for  the  sake  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

There  is  one  thinq;,  Doctor,  which  I  do  not  under- 
stand ;  perhaps  you  can  explain  it.  Methodist  preachers 
profess  to  be  commissioned  to  go  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature;  and  yet  in  some 
favorite  sections  of  country,  they  throng  together  in  such 
multitudes  as  to  stand  in  each  other's  way,  and  crowd 
some  out  of  the  work,  and  leave  other  sections  of  the 
Lord's  vineyard  in  a  state  of  destitution.  We  have 
preachers  enough  to  supply  our  entire  home  work,  east, 
west,  north,  and  south,  if  properly  distributed;  but  some 
are  not  willing  to  go  where  they  are  most  needed.  Can 
this  be  fairly  reconciled  to  a  professed  call  to  the  work  of 
the  itinerant  ministry?  I  allow  there  may  be  a  palliation 
of  such  inconsistency  in  some  cases,  arising  from  the  op- 
position of  friends.  Young  preachers  are  generally  dis- 
posed to  do  right  in  the  matter;  but  older  brethren,  who 
should  be  the   first  to  encourage  them,  get  around  and 


NOTES     OF     T  ft  A  V  E  L  .  299 

dissuade  them  from  it,  especially  popular  young  men; 
and  in  this  way  we  arc  often  defeated  in  obtaining  such 
transfers  as  we  need  from  the  older  to  the  new  confer- 
ences. Tfeis  sort  of  opposition  to  the  work  is  not  founded 
in  a  deliberate  intention  on  the  part  of  senior  brethren  to 
do  wrong,  but  in  an  unwillingness  to  part  with  their  sons 
in  the  Gospel.  Still  it  is  mischievous  in  its  tendency. 
Let  them,  whom  it  may  concern,  see  to  it,  lest  they  hinder 
the  work  of  the  Lord. 

We  are  about  to  resume  our  journey,  and  time  fails  to 
add  more  at  present;  but  you  may  hear  again,  at  some 
convenient  time,  from 

Yours,  sincerely,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Batesville,  Arkansas,  November  16,  1841. 

LETT  Ell  V. 

Brother  Elliott, — When  taking  leave  of  Batesville  in 
my  last,  I  should  have  remembered  the  Male  and  Female 
Academy  of  that  place,  under  the  superintendence  of  Rev. 
Henry  Hunt  and  his  lady.  Brother  Hunt  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  Kentucky  conference,  but  is  now  in  a  local 
relation.  His  school  is  situated  at  the  north  end  of  town, in 
a  high  and  healthy  position;  the  rear  ground  extends  into 
the  edge  of  a  very  handsome  grove  of  young  cedars,  which 
throws  around  the  place  an  air  of  beauty  and  cheerfulness; 
the  buildings  are  of  respectable  appearance,  and  the  insti- 
tution is  favorably  spoken  of,  and  pretty  well  sustained. 
A  committee  was  appointed  by  the  conference  to  attend 
the  examination. 

On  Tuesday,  16th,  at  a  late  hour  in  the  morning,  we 
left  Batesville  in  a  cold  rain,  not  because  we  loved  it,  but 
for  the  reason  that  our  engagements  ahead  required  us  to 
be  diligent.  When  we  arrived  at  the  ferry,  it  was  difficult 
crossing,  on  account  of  the  freshet  in  White  river:  how- 
ever, after  being  detained  two  hours,  we  were  safely  landed 


SCO  M  I  S  C  E  L  L  A  N  Y  . 

on  the  opposite  side.  Usually  the  water  of  White  river  is 
of  the  most  transparent  sort,  but  then  it  was  turbid  and 
rapid.  Before  we  got  aboard,  the  company  accumulated 
till  there  were  three  full  boat-loads  of  Methodist  preachers 
and  their  horses,  including  our  own.  After  we  resumed 
the  road,  the  brethren  on  horseback  passed  us,  and  we 
were  left  with  our  usual  company.  The  afternoon  was 
pleasant;  and  in  the  evening  we  sought  and  found  a 
retired  spot  off  the  road  for  our  camp,  with  a  view  to 
dodge  the  pigs,  as  they  had  been  very  troublesome  on 
previous  occasions ;  and  the  experiment  was  successful — 
they  did  not  find  us  till  next  morning.  Our  camp  was  on 
the  north  bank  of  Sally  Doe,  a  name  suggested  by  a  sin- 
gular occurrence.  Among  the  pioneers  of  the  country 
was  a  heroine  named  Sally,  who,  observing  a  female  deer 
in  the  water,  stood  on  the  bank,  and  Avith  a  gun  killed  it, 
from  which  achievement  the  settlers  agreed  to  name  the 
creek  Sally  Doe.  It  is  about  three  rods  wide,  the  water 
clear  and  pleasant,  and,  near  our  camp,  passes  over  a 
ledge  of  rocks,  producing  a  monotonous  roar  favorable  to 
refreshing  sleep  on  a  calm  night. 

Wednesday  afternoon  we  crossed  Little  Red  river  at 
Crolman's  ferry,  thirty-two  miles  from  Batesville.  It  is 
a  deep,  rapid  stream,  about  ten  or  twelve  rods  over :  the 
boat  is  worked  across  by  a  hand  rope,  extending  from 
shore  to  shore,  in  a  very  short  time;  and  appears  to  be 
profitable  to  the  owner,  as  1  paid  for  one  horse  and  buggy 
sixty-two  and  a  half  cents  in  silver;  a  circumstance  not 
worth  naming,  only  as  a  specimen  of  ferriage-rates  in  this 
country.  After  we  left  the  river,  we  inquired  at  each 
house  we  passed  that  evening  for  corn,  but  they  had  none 
for  sale;  nor  did  we  blame  them,  for  they  appeared  to 
have  very  little  for  themselves;  till  we  reached  Indian 
creek,  about  dark,  where  Mr.  Magness,  one  of  the  first 
settlers,  accommodated  us  with  three  half-bushels  of  ears, 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  301 

or  about  three  pecks  of  corn,  for  a  dollar,  which  we  find  to 
be  the  usual  price  of  late.  This,  however,  is  more  than 
the  ordinary  price  of  the  country,  and  is  occasioned  by 
the  summer  drought  this  year.  "  When  the  next  band  of 
Texas  missionaries  come  this  way  and  cross  Indian  creek, 
if  they  will  form  an  angle  to  the  right,  and  pass  along 
the  south  bank  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  yards,  they 
will  see  the  remains  of  our  camp-fire,  where  we  spent  a 
very  pleasant  night,  and  they  shall  be  welcome  to  our 
chumps  to  kindle  their  fire.  Perhaps  we  should  have 
stopped  on  the  north  side,  but  it  was  preoccupied  by  a 
company  of  movers  from  the  state  of  Mississippi  to 
White  river.  Their  fire  made  some  show  as  we  passed 
them;  but  we  soon  raised  an  opposition  line,  which 
rather  threw  them  into  the  shade. 

Thursday  we  lunched  at  Bayou  Dezark,  and  camped 
in  the  evening  near  Mr.  Walker's,  where  we  had  nothing 
to  annoy  us  whatever,  except  our  swine  visitors.  These 
ravenous  animals  appear  to  be  well  versed  in  the  art  of 
filching  from  movers'  camps,  and  have  no  doubt  been 
practicing  their  feats  of  roguery  from  the  time  they  were 
weaned.  One  of  the  ringleaders  of  the  gang  came  that 
night  while  we  were  asleep,  and  dragged  our  bag  of  corn 
from  the  mouth  of  our  tent,  and  getting  a  little  the  start 
of  us  before  we  awoke,  gave  us  quite  a  chase  to  recover  it. 
Friday  evening  we  were  kindly  received  and  well  treated 
at  Mr.  Covvey's.  Saturday  we  crossed  Arkansas  river  in 
a  steam  ferry-boat,  and  arrived  at  the  capital  of  the  state, 
where  the  brethren  received  us  with  true  Christian  court- 
esy. The  river  here  is  some  six  hundred  yards  wide,  and 
is  at  present  in  fine  condition  for  navigation  by  steam- 
boats. The  distance  from  Batesville  to  Little  Rock  by 
the  old  military  road  which  we  came,  is  one  hundred 
miles.  The  country  between,  except  the  creek  lands,  is 
very  poor  in  general,  consisting  of  oak  barrens,  oak  ridges, 
26 


302  MISCELLANY. 

and  pine  hills  alternately.  Many  of  the  hills  are  long, 
steep,  and  difficult  to  ascend  and  descend,  on  account  of 
the  masses  of  broken  free-stone,  which  cover  the  surface. 
The  inhabitants  are  few  and  far  between,  which,  together 
with  the  want  of  time,  may  account  for  our  having  no 
appointments  on  the  way  for  preaching.  We  are  here  in 
the  midst  of  Indian  summer.  The  weather  last  week  was 
frequently  too  warm  to  be  comfortable.  On  Friday  the 
temperature  was  nearly  up  to  summer  heat.  We  had 
occasionally  to  shed  our  coats,  and  even  then,  leading  our 
horses  up  the  rocky  ascents  produced  perspiration  equal  to 
"Dr.  Thompson's  Cayenne"  and  "No.  6."  The  small 
flies  worried  our  horses  as  if  it  had  been  August;  and  on 
Saturday  and  Sunday  night  in  the  city,  the  musketoes 
played  a  merry  tune  around  our  heads.  Such  a  state  of 
weather  the  latter  part  of  November  is  rather  remarkable 
even  in  Arkansas.  Still  I  have  no  doubt  but  this  is  one 
of  the  finest  climates  in  the  United  States,  forming  a  me- 
dium between  the  extremes  north  and  south,  so  as  to 
secure  its  inhabitants  generally  against  the  winter  fever  of 
the  former,  and  the  yellow  fever  of  the  latter.  If  climate 
only  were  to  be  considered  in  selecting  a  permanent  resi- 
dence, it  should  be  located  between  thirty-four  and  thirty- 
five  degrees  of  north  latitude,  a  range  which  includes 
Little  Rock,  and  stretches  across  the  Chickasaw  purchase 
in  the  state  of  Mississippi,  north  Alabama,  the  up  country 
of  Georgia  and  South  Carolina,  and  the  south-east  corner 
of  North  Carolina.  But  why  should  people  be  so  difficult 
to  suit  in  countries  ?  When  in  the  north  I  am  delighted ; 
when  in  the  south,  if  I  had  my  family  with  me,  I  should 
almost  be  willing  to  remain ;  and  when  I  return  to  my 
native  west,  it  still  appears  to  be  the  best  of  all.  As 
traveling  preachers,  the  world  is  our  parish,  and  wherever 
duty  calls,  we  should  be  willing  to  go.  On  the  Sabbath, 
according  to  previous   appointment,  we  met  the   congre- 


K  0  T  i:  B     0  V    T  EAV  E  L  .  o03 

gation  in  this  city.  The  morning  was  stormy.  Thunder- 
showers  were  passing  over  and  around  us,  such  as  you 
have  in  Ohio  at  midsummer:  but  as  it  was  not  raining  at 
eleven  o'clock  our  little  chapel  was  well  filled.  After 
sermon  the  sacrament  was  administered.  All  the  breth- 
ren filled  the  table  around  the  altar  only  twice.  There 
was  preaching  again  in  the  afternoon  and  evening.  We 
also  ordained  brother  Rezin  Davis  a  deacon,  in  the  house 
of  brother  S.  Sanger,  where  I  lod^e.  Little  Rock  has 
improved  considerably,  since  I  saw  it  five  years  ago,  in 
appearance ;  but  our  society  has  not  increased  in  propor- 
tion. Still  they  have  peace  among  themselves,  exhibit 
some  fruits  of  true  piety,  and  there  is  ground  to  hope  thev 
may  so  increase  in  numbers  and  grace  as  to  become  a 
strong  people.  To-day  we  expect  to  resume  our  journey, 
having  a  series  of  appointments  in  advance.  At  some 
convenient  time  you  may  hear  again  from 

Yours,  respectfully,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  Nov.  22,  1841. 

LETTER  VI. 
Brother  Elliott, — We  left  Little  Rock  Monday,  No- 
vember 22d,  and  took  the  military  road  leading  off  in  a 
south-west  direction.  Very  soon  we  entered  an  extensive 
forest  of  pitch  pine;  the  trees  tall  and  straight,  and  many 
of  them  quite  large ;  and  from  their  contiguity  to  the  city 
and  to  the  Arkansas  river,  they  must  be  valuable.  This 
pinery  extends  south-east  to  Pine  Bluff,  and  south-west, 
with  some  intermission,  to  the  Red  river.  Six  miles  from 
the  city  we  passed  the  cabin  in  which  I  slept  in  1836,  the 
night  before  I  entered  the  forty  mile  wilderness  on  my 
way  to  Mississippi  conference,  which  was  then  occupied 
by  an  excellent  Methodist  family,  named  Hoover;  but  on 
inquiry  I  learned  that  the  master  of  the  family  was  dead, 
and  his  widow  and  orphans  had  removed  to  a  distant  part 


304:  MISCELLANY. 

of  the  country,  and  the  place  was  in  possession  of  stran- 
gers. In  one  corner  of  the  little  field  adjoining  the  cabin, 
was  a  neat  white  paling,  which  inclosed  the  remains  of 
brother  Wells,  who,  some  years  since,  came  as  an  itinerant 
from  Tennessee  to  labor  in  Arkansas,  and  died  in  the 
work.  He  was  the  same  brother  Wells  whose  name  is 
identified  with  the  history  of  the  arrest  of  the  mission- 
aries in  the  Cherokee  nation  in  1831.  While  his  fellow- 
laborer  was  driven  on  foot  before  the  mounted  guards, 
brother  Wells  followed  on,  leading  his  horse  for  him  to 
ride  back,  in  case  he  should  be  discharged  on  examina- 
tion; and  for  this  act  of  kindness  to  the  prisoner,  the 
heroic  Colonel  of  the  guards  struck  him  over  the  head 
with  a  club.  He  is  now  where  the  wicked  cease  to 
trouble,  where  the  weary  are  at  rest.  These  brief  but 
solemn  items  of  the  past,  afforded  for  some  time  a  profit- 
able theme  of  meditation.  We  spent  that  evening  pleas- 
antly at  the  house  of  Mr.  T.  Rolands,  who,  some  four 
years  since,  emigrated  from  Alabama.  He  and  his  family 
are  members  of  our  Church. 

Next  morning  several  of  his  family  accompanied  us  to 
Benton,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Saline  county,  where  we 
preached  to  a  small  congregation  in  the  court-house. 
Benton  is  a  small  village,  twenty-five  miles  from  Little 
Rock.  After  dining  with  Mr.  Hockersmith,  we  proceeded 
on  to  the  house  of  brother  H.  Cornelius,  formerly  a  mem- 
ber of  Arkansas  conference ;  but,  from  a  sense  of  duty  to 
a  large  and  increasing  family,  located,  and  commenced 
farming  and  raising  stock.  On  our  way  to  his  house,  and 
near  Benton,  we  forded  a  heavy  stream  of  water,  called 
Saline  river. 

Wednesday  we  ferried  the  Washitta  river,  where  it  is, 
perhaps,  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide,  but  not  navi- 
gable for  steamboats,  though  an  excellent  river  for  steam- 
ers from  Ecorefabre  down,  and  ate  our  luncheon  on  the 


NOTES     0  F     T  B  A  V  E  L  .  305 

south  bank.  This  ferry  is  twenty-one  miles  from  Benton. 
In  the  afternoon  we  bought  provender  of  Mr.  Stubling, 
entered  the  Twelve  Mile  Stretch,  so  called,  because  for 
that  distance  the  road  passes  over  pine  hills  so  poor  that 
no  one  lives  near  it ;  and  having  penetrated  the  wilderness 
four  or  five  miles,  and  found  a  running  brook  named  Bayou 
de  Sale,  pitched  our  tent.  About  half-past  eight  o'clock 
a  violent  storm  of  wind  and  rain  broke  upon  us,  attended 
with  sharp  lightning  and  heavy  thunder,  so  that  for  some 
time  we  were  amidst  all  the  terrific  grandeur  of  a  hurri- 
cane at  night  in  an  unbroken  forest.  For  some  time 
before  it  reached  us  we  heard  the  havoc  which  it  was 
making  among  the  pines;  but  fortunately  we  occupied  a 
favorable  position  for  the  occasion  in  relation  to  standing 
trees,  there  being  no  large  ones  between  us  and  the  creek 
facing  the  storm :  when  it  struck,  it  smote  the  four  corners 
of  our  house,  the  tent  pins  gave  way,  and  the  tent  cloth 
twisted  up  into  a  whirling  heap  around  us,  and,  doubtless, 
would  have  gone  off,  had  we  not  secured  the  corners  by 
throwing  our  whole  weight  upon  them;  and  before  we 
could  replace  the  pins  and  bring  the  tent  to  its  proper 
form,  the  rain  dashed  through  and  gave  us  a  wetting. 
However,  we  got  sufficiently  dry  before  midnight  to  lay 
down  and  sleep  comfortably.  When  we  observed  next 
day  how  the  trees  were  thrown  along  and  across  our  road, 
and  saw  the  providence  of  God  in  our  preservation,  amidst 
crashing  timber  and  warring  elements,  we  felt  our  hearts 
swell  with  emotions  of  gratitude.  At  the  south  end  of 
this  stretch,  we  came  down,  on  Thursday  morning,  to 
Bayou  de  Roche,  which,  as  its  name  is  intended  to  ex- 
press, is  remarkably  stony  in  the  channel  and  on  either 
shore,  and  only  a  few  miles  further  on,  found  it  sufficiently 
deep  fording  a  very  rapid  little  river,  called  Fourche 
Caddo;  and  as  it  was  turning  cold,  we  raised  a  fire,  by 
which  to  warm  and  eat,  on  the  other  side,  in  what  had 
26* 


306  M  I  S  C  E  L  L  A  X  Y  . 

been  a  cane-brake,  the  remnant  of  which  was  fine  grazing. 
In  the  evening  we  turned  off  the  road  to  the  right,  about 
one  hundred  yards  down  a  small  brook,  seeking  a  good 
place  to  camp,  when  our  buggy,  in  which  was  the  bag  of 
corn,  suddenly  broke  down ;  the  fore  axletree,  both  wood 
and  iron,  gave  way  at  the  king  bolt,  and  let  me  down 
softly  within  one  rod  of  where  we  judged  best,  upon 
thorough  examination,  to  build  our  lire.  Next  day  we 
lost  from  our  journey  getting  the  buggy  repaired,  and, 
consequently,  we  remained  two  cold  nights  at  Camp  Mis- 
hap. When  not  otherwise  employed,  we  walked  round 
the  camp  and  shot  birds  for  a  pot-pie. 

Saturday  morning  we  resumed  our  journey,  and  soon 
found  that  all  the  mud  and  water  which  adhered  to  the 
wheels  became  congealed.  It  froze  all  day — was  cloudy, 
windy,  and  unpleasant.  In  the  evening  we  forded  a  large 
creek  called  Antoine,  and  soon  after  reached  Wolf  creek, 
where  we  had  appointed  to  preach  on  the  Sabbath.  We 
called,  as  previously  advised,  on  Colonel  John  Wilson, 
who  keeps  a  public  house,  but  had  the  kindness  to  enter- 
tain us  gratuitously.  His  wife,  children,  and  servants, 
are  members  of  our  Church.  This  was  in  the  corner  of 
Pike  county.  The  Colonel  has  on  his  place  two  valuable 
springs,  one  chalybeate  and  the  other  weak  sulphur,  and 
pleasant  to  the  taste. 

On  Sabbath,  at  eleven  o'clock,  we  commenced  public 
service  in  Wolf  creek  meeting-house  with  eighteen  per- 
sons ;  others  came  during  sermon,  some  after  sermon, 
while  brother  Clark  was  exhorting ;  and  after  the  congre- 
gation dispersed  we  met  others  going.  This  irregularity, 
as  to  the  time  of  meeting,  grew  partly  out  of  a  misunder- 
standing as  to  the  hour  appointed  for  preaching.  More- 
over, it  is  a  free  house,  where  some  appoint  to  commence 
at  noon,  and  then  delay  as  much  longer  as  suits  their  con- 
venience.    As  this  is  said  to  be  the  best  chapel  in  the 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  307 

south  part  of  the  state,  it  may  be  of  some  interest  to  read 
a  brief  description  of  it.  The  walls  are  made  of  hewed 
logs,  about  twenty  by  twenty-four  feet  in  extent,  with  a 
wooden  chimney  in  one  end,  and  a  place  cut  out  for  a 
chimney  at  the  other  end,  which  is  partly  closed  up  with 
slabs.  In  the  front  is  a  large  door,  with  a  center  post, 
and  double  shutters,  on  the  principle  of  a  barn  door.  Im- 
mediately opposite,  on  the  other  side,  is  a  pulpit,  which 
projects  some  six  feet  from  the  wall,  the  forepart  of  which 
is  so  high  that  when  the  preacher  kneels  to  pray  he  is 
nearly  concealed  from  the  view  of  the  people.  Behind 
this  pulpit  is  a  window  without  glass,  the  shutter  of  which 
is  neither  lone  nor  wide  enough  to  close  it,  and,  conse- 
quently,  lets  a  double  stream  of  air  upon  him.  The  roof 
is  made  of  clapboards,  between  which  and  the  floor  there 
is  no  ceiling,  though  there  are  some  naked  poles  laid 
across  on  the  plates ;  and  the  cracks  between  the  logs  are 
neither  chinked  nor  daubed ;  and  though  they  were  once 
partially  closed  by  nailing  on  thin  boards,  these  have  been 
mostly  torn  off,  to  afford  light  and  a  free  circulation  of  air. 
The  day  was  cold,  and  the  people  appeared  to  suffer.  In 
the  evening  we  found  a  large  fire  kindled  in  the  front 
yard  near  the  door,  to  which  the  people  could  retreat 
when  too  cold  to  hear  the  preaching;  when  one  class  were 
warmed  they  would  return  into  the  house,  and  another 
cold  set  would  give  place  to  them.  No  blame  was 
attached  to  them  for  this  procedure ;  for,  judging  of  the 
feelings  of  others  by  my  own,  it  was  an  indispensable 
arrangement.  We  had  truly  a  chilly  time  that  day 
throughout,  temporally  and  spiritually.  Next  morning 
we  concluded  to  measure  the  temperature  of  the  atmos- 
phere, hung  out  the  thermometer,  and  the  mercury  stood 
only  eleven  degrees  above  zero,  which  was  certainly  ex- 
traordinary weather  for  this  country  the  last  week  in 
November. 


oOS  M  I  S  C  E  L  L  ANY. 

Monday  morning  we  crossed  Little  Missouri  river,  about 
five  rods  wide,  for  which  we  paid  $2.  The  ferry-boat  is 
keeled  at  the  ends,  and  has  nothing  attached  to  conduct 
the  wheels  from  the  boat  to  the  shore,  so  that  where  we 
led  out,  the  carriages  had  to  make  a  pitch  of  some  fifteen 
inches  ;  and  the  consequence  was,  the  main  bar  of  the  hind 
spring  of  the  buggy  snapped  in  two;  but  we  splintered 
and  wrapped  it  with  small  cord,  and  in  an  hour  resumed 
our  journey.  This  was  on  the  old  road,  which,  for  about 
two  miles  south  of  the  river,  is  nearly  impassable  on  ac- 
count of  mud,  broken  bridges,  etc.  That  night  we  staid 
at  Mr.  Pates's,  and  the  next  morning  came  into  Washing- 
ton, Hempstead  county,  where  our  Christian  friends  re- 
ceived us  cheerfully  and  treated  us  kindly.  Washington 
is  situated  on  a  high  sandy  plain,  which  was,  from  appear- 
ance, originally  a  pine  forest ;  the  town  is  compact  and  of 
respectable  appearance,  and,  except  the  capital,  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  state.  There  is  here  a  respectable  male 
and  female  academy,  under  the  superintendence,  I  learn, 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hoge,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  a 
convenient,  substantial  court-house,  in  which  we  preached 
several  times  to  a  congregation  respectable  in  size,  appear- 
ance, and  orderly  attention.  There  is  no  chapel  in  the 
place,  nor  is  there  any  regularly-organized  Methodist 
society,  though  we  have  a  few  members  in  the  town  and 
its  vicinity. 

Wednesday  evening  brother  Clark  and  I,  accompanied 
by  brother  Gregory,  presiding  elder  of  this  district,  who 
met  us  at  Wolf  creek,  and  has  attended  us  since,  went  to 
Columbus,  eight  or  ten  miles  distant,  and  preached  even- 
ing and  morning  to  a  small  congregation.  Columbus  is  a 
small  village  of  some  taste,  and  has  a  male  and  female 
academy,  both  white  frames  of  neat  appearance,  under 
the  tuition  of  Rev.  Mr.  Meloy  and  his  lady,  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  Church.     In  this  village  there  is  no 


N  0  T  E  6     OF    TRAVEL.  309 

chapel;  and  though  we  have  some  Methodists  there,  they 
are  not  organized,  and  have  no  class  meetings.  This  state 
of  things  is  much  to  be  regretted.  Our  brethren  never 
did,  and  never  will,  prosper  long  in  any  place  where  class 
and  prayer  meetings  are  lightly  esteemed  or  neglected. 
After  sermon  here,  on  Thursday,  deacons'  orders  were 
conferred  on  three  local  preachers,  and  the  case  of  one, 
namely,  John  Henry,  was  remarkable.  He  was  converted 
under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  David  Young,  Avhen  he 
traveled  the  old  Merrimack  circuit,  Missouri,  in  1810;  has 
been  a  faithful  local  preacher  twenty-nine  years,  and  pre- 
sented a  certificate  of  election  to  deacons'  orders,  signed 
"John  Scripps,  secretary  of  Missouri  conference,  Septem- 
ber 16,  1819,"  which  he  had  carried  twenty-two  years 
without  an  opportunity  of  presenting  it;  during  wdiich 
time  his  license  was  regularly  renewed  every  year,  and 
from. the  long  good  standing  which  he  has  maintained,  is 
every-where  in  this  country  called  Father  Henry. 

On  our  way  to  Columbus  we  passed  the  far-famed 
Mount  Prairie,  which  gives  name  to  this  circuit.  It  is  a 
small  prairie,  the  only  one  we  have  seen  this  side  of  Illi- 
nois, is  chiefly  under  cultivation,  and  has  a  notable  mound, 
which  is  the  building-site  of  the  farm.  The  soil  is  black, 
rich,  and  lies  on  a  bed  of  rotten  limestone,  and  when  wet 
will  adhere  to  the  wheels  of  a  carriage  like  kneaded  dough. 
The  most  remarkable  circumstance  about  it  is,  the  surface 
abounds  with  sea-shells — clams,  oysters,  etc. — so  thick,  Ave 
were  told,  in  places,  that  a  plow  can  scarcely  be  forced 
through.  These  shells,  in  many  instances,  are  in  a  per- 
fect state  of  preservation,  while,  in  others,  they  arc  in  a 
process  of  decomposition.  How  they  came  on  a  high,  dry 
prairie,  more  than  three  hundred  miles  from  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  is  a  question  which  I  leave  for  the  learned  to 
answer.'7-' 

•'This  is  the  bcbt  neighborhood  of  land  \\c  have  seen  in  Arkansas. 


310  MISCELLANY. 

Thursday  evening  we  returned  to  Washington,  where 
brother  Clark  preached  again  to  an  increased  congrega- 
tion, notwithstanding  the  evening  was  rainy. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Washixgtox,  Ark.,  Dec.  2,  1841. 

LETTER   YII. 

Brother  Elliott, — We  left  Washington  Friday,  De- 
cember 3d,  and  came  to  Spring  Hill,  a  village  on  an  ele- 
vation among  the  pines  in  Hempstead  county,  so  called 
from  the  fact  that  numerous  springs  of  excellent  water 
break  out  of  the  hill,  in  various  directions,  around  the 
village.  Many  of  the  citizens  of  this  place  are  planters, 
whose  cotton  farms  are  on  the  low  lands  of  Red  river,  a 
few  miles  distant,  and  afford  excellent  society  for  each 
other.  The  site,  being  high  and  well  watered,  is  healthy 
and  pleasant  for  family  residences;  and  their  children 
have  the  benefits  of  male  and  female  academies,  under 
the  superintendence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Banks  and  lady,  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  While  in  Spring  Hill  we  enjoyed 
a  fair  specimen  of  old  Virginia  hospitality,  which  of  course 
was  very  grateful  to  us  weary  travelers,  and  in  turn  we 
exerted  ourselves  to  be  useful  among  them.  There  is  no 
Methodist  society  organized  there,  and  very  few  persons 
who  were  members  of  our  Church,  nor  have  they  any 
chapel  of  any  sort;  but  we  had  the  pleasure  of  preaching- 
two  days  in  the  female  academy,  which  accommodated 
quite  a  respectable  congregation;  and  from  the  number 
present,  the  attention  given,  and  the  interest  apparently 
taken  in  the  preaching,  we  can  but  hope  that  some  bene- 
ficial effects  may  follow. 

Monday,  6th,  we  left  our  kind  friends  of  Spring  Hill, 
and  took  the  Minden  road,  which  leads  through  a  country 
forming  a  striking  contrast  with  Hempstead  county,  in 
some  particulars.     It  should  be  observed  that  we  left  the 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  311 

military  road  near  Greenville,  some  forty  miles  beyond 
Washington,  and  formed  a  curve  westward,  in  order  to 
visit  several  important  points;  and  instead  of  returning 
directly  east  from  Spring  Hill  to  our  former  road,  we 
aimed  to  strike  it  obliquely  by  a  signer  route.  In  the 
evening  we  passed  Lewisville,  the  seat  of  a  new  county 
named  Fayette.  This  is  a  new  establishment  in  the 
woods,  consisting  of  a  log  court-house,  with  a  brush 
arbor  in  front,  an  indifferent  log  school-house,  and  the 
commencement  of  a  wooden  jail,  the  walls  of  which  were 
partly  raised.  One  mile  beyond  Lewisville,  between  Dr. 
Wilson's  and  Mr.  Lemay's,  we  lodged  by  a  small  ravine, 
where  the  light- wood  was  abundant,  and  called  the  place 
Pinot  Camp.  Here  we  ate  breakfast  by  candle-light,  and 
at  an  early  hour  on  Tuesday  entered  a  wilderness  of 
about  thirty  miles,  without  a  house.  Soon  after  we  heard 
the  keen  crack  of  a  rifle,  and  presently  saw  a  buck  fleeing 
as  if  wounded,  and  immediately  afterward  met  a  young 
Indian  with  his  hunting  costume,  attended  by  a  well- 
trained  dog  on  his  track,  who,  without  manifesting  any 
surprise  at  our  appearance,  went  on  in  pursuit  of  his 
£-anie.  While  observing  him,  his  father  and  mother,  as 
we  supposed,  and  some  younger  children,  came  up  with  a 
train  of  small  ponies  packed  with  skins  and  meat,  in  real 
hunter's  style.  This  was  a  family  of  Choctaws  returning 
from  their  fall  hunt,  made  in  the  wild  regions  of  the  Bod- 
caw,  which  is  still  the  abode  of  wild  beasts.  Some  days 
previous  we  had  been  told  by  brother  Gregory,  presiding 
elder  of  the  Red  river  district,  that  wild  cattle  were  still 
to  be  found  in  the  cane  down  Red  river,  and  that  he  had 
recently  rode  nearly  into  the  midst  of  a  large  drove  of 
them  before  they  observed  him,  but  when  started  by  his 
appearance,  they  made  the  brush  and  cane  crack  like  a 
gang  of  buffalo ;  and  to-day  we  had  a  confirmation  of  the 
correctness  of  this  intelligence.      Only  a  few  miles  on  our 


312  MISCELLANY. 

day's  journey,  we  met  a  wagon  drawn  by  two  mewly  oxen, 
attended  with  hunters,  who  informed  us  they  were  going 
after  a  wild  bull,  which  they  had  just  killed  near  that 
place,  to  bring  him  into  their  camp,  which  we  would  pres- 
ently pass;  that  he  was  very  fat,  and  they  judged  would 
weigh  about  seven  or  eight  hundred  pounds.  It  is  pre- 
sumed that  these  cattle  originally  strayed  from  the  French 
and  Spaniards,  and  have  been  increasing  in  their  wild  state 
for  ages  past.  Soon  after  passing  them,  Ave  came  to  the 
Bodcaw,  a  large  bayou,  full  of  cypress,  and  difficult  to 
pass.  At  our  crossing,  it  parted  so  as  to  form  an  island, 
on  which  we  saw  the  hunters'  camp  among  the  cane, 
which,  in  the  absence  of  its  owners,  was  occupied  by 
ravens  and  buzzards,  feeding  on  the  offal.  The  banks  of 
the  Bodcaw  are  nearly  perpendicular,  and  the  water  so 
deep  that  to  secure  our  baggage  we  had  to  prop  it  up  on 
blocks,  and  then  lash  it  on  with  ropes  to  keep  it  dry. 
Twelve  inches  more  and  our  horses  would  have  been  cov- 
ered, if  not  floated;  but,  by  the  blessing  of  kind  Provi- 
dence, we  got  all  over  safejy.  Had  we  been  men  of  leisure 
and  sport,  the  temptation  to  stop  here  and  exhaust  our 
little  store  of  ammunition  would  have  been  strong;  but 
we  had  another  and  more  important  object  in  view  than 
hunting  deer,  bear,  and  wild  cattle.  Indeed,  we  had  to 
pass  the  wilderness  that  day,  or  let  our  horses  suffer  for 
grain.  Why  no  body  settles  along  on  this  road  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  account  for,  only  on  the  supposition  that  the  land 
is  owned  by  non-resident  speculators.  Between  Bodcaw 
and  Dorcheat  there  is  an  extensive  body  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful pine-land  I  ever  saw.  It  lies  handsomely,  is  dry, 
of  dark  complexion,  mellow,  and  apparently  rich ;  and 
though  rather  sandy,  it  would  doubtless  produce  cotton, 
corn,  oats,  peaches,  and  sweet  potatos,  in  great  abund- 
ance ;  and  from  the  character  of  the  timber  it  is  easily 
cleared.     The  water  on  the  road  is  scarce  this  dry  season, 


>;  O  T  ."  S      OF      T  B  A  V  E  L  .  31  3 

though  we  saw  some  springs.  Many  flocks  of  deer  scam- 
pered before  us  during  this  day's  journey,  but  Ave  paid 
little  attention  to  them.  After  pushing  on  all  day,  we 
reached  Dorcheat  at  dark,  a  bayou  some  forty  yards  wide, 
and  too  difficult  crossing  to  pass  in  the  night,  and  we  were 
content  to  stop  in  rather  an  inconvenient  place  on  the  north 
side,  about  two  rods  from  a  deserted  Indian  camp,  made 
of  cypress  bark;  but  we  preferred  our  own  tent  on  fresh 
ground.  Our  camp  was  in  sight  of  the  house  of  old  Mr. 
Moss,  perhaps  the  first  settler  of  the  neighborhood;  but 
he  was  buying  corn  at  one  dollar  a  bushel,  and  hauling  it 
forty  miles.  However,  with  some  persuasion,  he  let  us 
have  one  bushel  for  two  dollars  in  par  funds,  but  would 
spare  no  fodder  at  any  price.  The  water  of  Dorcheat  is  so 
colored  with  cypress  leaves,  etc.,  that  it  is  nearly  as  black 
as  tar,  though  it  is  cold,  and  tolerably  pleasant  to  the 
taste.  The  cypress  grows  not  only  on  the  banks,  but  in 
the  channel  of  the  sluggish  stream,  starting  generally  in 
conical  form,  and  then  shooting  up  a  trunk  tall  and 
straight,  with  foliage  similar  to  pine,  though  not  so  heavy, 
and  subject  to  fade  and  fall  off  about  the  first  of  winter. 
Around  each  large  cypress  are  scores  of  knees  or  excres- 
cences, like  little  cones,  from  the  roots,  which  are  hollow 
shells  of  a  spongy  nature,  that  grow  from  one  to  five  feet 
high  above  the  ground,  or  water,  as  the  case  may  be ;  and, 
when  sawed  off,  answer  for  bee-gums  or  well-buckets. 
The  cypress  wood,  though  soft,  is  durable,  and  answeis 
well  for  boards,  palings,  etc.  While  at  Camp  Dorcheat, 
the  hooting  of  owls  and  howling  of  wolves  made  us  music 
enough  for  one  night. 

Next  morning,  by  blocking  up  our  baggage  as  before, 
we  forded  safely,  and,  within  one  mile  beyond  it,  passed 
two  smaller  bayous  with  some  difficult)-;  the  ford  of  one 
being  so  blocked  up  with  drift,  that  we  had  to  seek  a  new 

crossing,  and  cut  a  road  to  and  from  it.     The  first  mile  of 

91 


314  MISCELLANY". 

our  road  from  Dorclieat  presented  a  novel  appearance  to  a 
northern  man :  the  undergrowth  was  cane  and  bay-shrub, 
shaded  by  a  dense  forest  of  holly,  with  an  occasional  pine 
from  three  to  four  feet  in  diameter.  This  forest  of  ever- 
greens, in  connection  with  the  mildness  of  the  weather, 
reminded  us  of  summer.  The  bark  of  the  holly -tree 
resembles  the  northern  beech,  while  its  boughs  are  orna- 
mented with  deep-green  foliage,  and  clusters  of  blood-red 
berries  about  the  size  of  cherries.  Leaving  this  flat,  we 
came  over  poor  pine  knobs  to  Mr.  Rice's,  seven  miles, 
where  we  bought  a  nice  piece  of  a  fat  cub,  killed  the  day 
before;  and  half  a  mile  beyond  saw  a  large  sweet-gum 
marked  "  A.  and  L.,"  which  we  recognized  as  a  line-tree 
between  the  states  of  Arkansas  and  Louisiana,  where  we 
let  our  horses  feed  on  the  cane,  while  we  took  our  lun- 
cheon. This  was  in  latitude  thirty-three  degrees  north. 
Yours,  respectfully,  T.  A.  Morris. 

State  Line,  Dec.  8, 1841. 

LETTER  VIII. 
Brother  Elliott, — While  taking  leave  of  Arkansas,  it 
may  be  proper  for  me  to  add  one  or  two  general  remarks 
to  those  already  made.  The  south  part  of  the  state  is  a 
more  interesting  country,  on  some  accounts,  than  the  north 
part.  The  land  is  rather  better,  and  the  climate  milder, 
of  course ;  insomuch  that  the  stock  is  generally  wintered 
on  the  wild  range,  without  the  expense  or  trouble  of  feed- 
ing, especially  where  the  cane  has  not  yet  been  destroyed. 
This  circumstance,  together  with  its  China -trees  and 
numerous  evergreens,  gives  it  the  characteristics  of  a 
southern  country.  It  is  also  a  planting  region,  and  pro- 
duces cotton  in  abundance,  and  exhibits  more  appearance 
of  wealth  and  intelligence.  All  that  I  have  said  of  the 
civility  and  hospitality  of  the  inhabitants  heretofore,  has 
only  been  confirmed  in  my  mind  by  passing  through  the 


NOTES     o  F     T  B  A  V  E  L  .  315 

south-west  part  of  the  state.  Methodism,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  appears  to  be  less  efficient  in  its  operations,  and 
therefore  less  influential,  in  Arkansas  generally,  than  it 
should  be,  but  there  is  no  necessity  for  this  state  of  things 
being  perpetuated.  The  people  are  generally  well  dis- 
posed to  receive  our  views  of  Christianity,  and  the  teach- 
ers of  it  whom  we  send  to  labor  among  them ;  and  even 
in  the  towns,  where  we  have  accomplished  but  little,  with 
a  few  exceptions,  much  might  be  done  if  proper  attention 
was  paid  to  them.  I  do  not  know  of  a  better  opening  for 
usefulness,  by  an  enterprising  Methodist  preacher,  than  in 
the  villages  of  Hempstead  county. 

On  Wednesday,  December  8th,  we  entered  Claiborne 
parish,  Louisiana,  and  in  the  evening  passed  what  is 
called,  on  the  maps,  Allen's  Settlement,  nothing  of  which 
is  seen  from  the  road  but  Mr.  Allen's  field  and  cabin,  and 
lodged  that  night  in  the  pine  woods  a  mile  and  a  half 
beyond ;  having  traveled  that  day  only  twelve  or  thirteen 
miles,  on  account  of  the  road  being  so  blocked  up  with 
timber  that  we  had  frequently  to  cut  our  way  through  or 
around  it.  The  place  where  we  staid  that  night  afforded 
so  many  conveniences  and  comforts,  that  brother  Clark 
suggested  to  call  it  Camp  Felicity,  to  which  all  the  com- 
pany agreed,  of  course.  The  ground  was  handsome, 
water  good,  fuel  abundant  and  convenient.  We  had 
bread  and  butter,  milk  and  sugar  for  our  tea,  sweet  pota- 
tos,  stewed  peaches,  boiled  ham,  fried  cub,  etc.  Who 
could  desire  better  living? 

Thursday,  9th,  was  a  rainy  day :  quick,  heavy  showers 
fell  upon  us,  especially  in  the  afternoon:  the  road  was 
rough ;  houses  few  and  far  between ;  and  to  crown  all,  we 
got  lost :  took  a  wrong  road,  and  got  some  miles  out  of 
the  way;  but  in  the  evening  got  right,  and  came  to  a 
creek  called  Flat  Lick,  having  gained  fifteen  miles  that 
day.     This  place  we  called  Camp  Holly,  because  it  was 


316  MISCELLANY. 

ornamented  by  trees  of  that  name  on  every  side.  In  the 
evening  we  were  visited  by  a  Methodist  brother,  named 
Frederick  Grounds,  who  had  resided  in  that  neighborhood 
eighteen  years ;  though  his  house  was  behind  us,  and  off 
our  road.  He  appeared  to  be  a  friendly,  good-natured 
man ;  and  it  was  fortunate  that  he  was  so,  for  he  weighed 
two  hundred  and  twenty  or  two  hundred  and  thirty 
pounds,  and  possessed  much  muscular  strength.  Subse- 
quently he  brought  us  a  chicken,  some  butter  and  eggs, 
and  helped  to  cut  and  carry  our  wood,  all  gratuitously. 
The  ground  here  was  rather  wet,  in  consequence  of  the 
rain ;  but  we  borrowed  four  bundles  of  blades  from  our 
horses  till  morning,  put  them  under  our  buffalo-robes,  and 
slept  in  safety.  Next  morning  we  passed  a  neighborhood 
of  good  upland,  and  better  improved  than  any  we  had 
seen  this  side  of  Spring  Hill :  the  soil  was  black  and  mel- 
low, and  the  natural  growth  pine,  oak,  and  hickory. 
Thirteen  miles  brought  us  to  Minden,  which  is  ninety 
miles  from  Spring  Hill.  This  is  a  new,  but  neat  and  im- 
proving village,  chiefly  inhabited  by  planters  and  mer- 
chants. It  was  laid  off  in  1836;  but  has  been  mostly 
built  since  1838.  Three  miles  further  on  is  Overton,  the 
seat  of  Claiborne  parish,  said  to  be  sickly,  and  nearly 
deserted  in  favor  of  Minden,  to  which  place  it  is  thought 
the  county  seat  will  be  removed  next  session  of  the  legis- 
lature. Here  we  saw  the  first  long  moss  on  our  road, 
which  I  have  never  observed  in  a  higher  latitude  than 
ihirty-two  and  a  half  degrees  north.  Just  beyond  Over- 
ion,  we  crossed  the  track  of  a  tremendous  hurricane, 
which,  for  some  half  mile,  had  destroyed  nearly  all  the 
timber.  It  was  not  of  very  late  occurrence,  so  that  our 
road  was  clear.  When  we  reached  the  next  farm  it  was 
after  three  o'clock;  and,  on  inquiry,  we  found  it  was 
twelve  miles  to  the  next  house  on  our  road :  we  bought 
provender,  proceeded  on  to  the  middle  of  this  desolation, 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  317 

and  slept  quietly  and  sweetly  under  the  pine-bushes  in 
Camp  Solitude. 

Saturday,  11th,  brother  Whipple  took  his  rifle,  mounted 
his  colt,  and  proceeded  in  advance  of  the  wagons;  saw 
abundance  of  deer;  shot  twice,  and  wounded  one  mortally ; 
but,  for  want  of  time  and  skill  to  follow  the  trail,  did  not 
obtain  it.  His  squirrel -balls  are  too  light  for  bucks. 
About  noon  we  passed  a  camp  of  Indian  hunters.  Their 
ponies  were  belled,  and  grazing :  an  old  Indian  was  lying 
in  camp  on  his  stomach,  resting  his  chin  on  his  hands,  like 
a  lazy  dog  sleeping  with  his  head  upon  his  paws,  and 
scarcely  opened  his  eyes  to  see  us  pass :  skins  were  drying 
over  a  smoke-pit:  two  squaws  were  working  outside  of 
the  camp ;  and  three  small  children  were  sitting  round  a 
little  fire  some  distance  off,  who  observed  us  passing,  but 
manifested  no  alarm  or  surprise.  The  hunters  were  prob- 
ably on  the  chase.  In  the  evening,  after  going  nine 
miles  without  seeing  a  house,  we  reached  brother  Man- 
ning's, who  keeps  a  house  of  entertainment,  where  we 
remained  till  Monday  morning,  and  were  accommodated. 
On  the  Sabbath  we  rode  four  miles  to  a  log  meeting- 
house, where  there  is  a  small  Methodist  society,  and 
preached  to  about  twenty  persons,  including  our  own  com- 
pany. These  were  nearly  all  the  persons  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  we  had  a  pleasant  little  meeting.  We  fell  into 
the  old  military  road  at  Thompson's,  twenty  miles  back, 
which  is  very  much  cut  up  by  the  wagons  of  emigrants, 
chiefly  to  Texas.  They  have  here  a  weekly  horse  mail 
from  Natchitoches  to  Washington,  and  a  post-office  at  this 
place.  For  a  week  past,  the  weather  has  been  exceedingly 
mild  and  pleasant,  except  one  rainy  day :  part  of  the  time 
it  was  oppressive  to  ride  with  our  coats  on;  and  as  for 
cloaks,  they  were  an  incumbrance.  Last  evening,  we  had 
a  heavy  shower,  and  the  weather  is  like  to  be  cooler. 
H.  Johnson,  Esq.,  Ex-Governor  of  Louisiana,  staid  here 
27* 


318  MISCELL  A  2C  Y  . 

last  night.  He  is  the  Whig  candidate  for  governor  the 
next  term,  and  is  performing  the  tour  of  the  parishes  on 
an  electioneering  campaign,  and  from  stumping,  or  some 
other  cause,  is  rather  indisposed.  We  are  now  thirty- 
seven  miles  from  Natchitoches,  and  about  one  hundred 
and  ten  from  San  Augustine.  Time  fails  to  add  more  at 
present. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Maxiong's,  Claibornt:  parish,  La.,  Dec.  13,  1811. 

LETTEE  IX. 
Brother  Elliott, — My  last  letter  was  dated  at  Man- 
ning's, Louisiana,  December  13th.  We  left  that  place  the 
same  day,  and  immediately  after  passed  out  of  Claiborne 
into  Natchitoches  parish,  and  in  the  afternoon  reached 
brother  Randolph's  house  of  entertainment,  south  of  the 
Big  Bayou,  having  traveled  seventeen  miles  over  a  coun- 
try so  poor  that  it  is  entirely  desolate.  While  at  Ran- 
dolph's, we  met  with  three  men  on  their  return  from 
Texas,  whose  observations  had  been  chiefly  confined  to 
Jasper  county,  and  reported  that  the  land  there  was  rich 
in  spots,  and  the  balance  poor.  These  appeared  to  be 
civil  men,  and  conformed  very  respectfully  to  the  rules  of 
the  family  at  evening  and  morning  prayers ;  but  one  of 
them  carried  a  deadly  weapon,  such  as  we  had  not  seen 
before — a  pistol  and  Bowie-knife  in  one  solid  piece ;  the 
back  of  the  knife  was  welded  to  the  under  side  of  the 
barrel,  and  the  blade  projected  some  seven  inches  beyond 
the  muzzle,  and  the  but  of  the  pistol  answered  for  the 
knife-handle.  It  had  a  percussion  lock,  and  the  whole 
was  carried  in  a  case  made  to  suit  its  form,  and  worn  on 
the  side  under  the  vest.  When  the  owner  of  it  undressed 
for  sleeping,  John  Emory  Clark,  who  had  been  put  to  bed 
in  the  same  room,  saw  the  instrument  taken  out  and  ex- 
amined, and  concluding  that  he  was  in  dangerous  com- 


N  ( )  T  E  S     O  F     T  E  A  V  E  L  .  319 

pany,  slipped  out  of  bed,  opened  the  door,  and,  in  his  night 
clothes,  ran  across  the  porch  and  entry  to  the  door  of  his 
father's  bed-room,  and  called  for  quarters;  and,  when 
taken  in,  was  evidently  much  agitated,  being  only  nine 
years  old,  and  having  never  seen  the  like  before.  Next 
morning  he  very  shrewdly  remarked,  that  he  did  not  like 
the  looks  of  that  thing;  it  would  kill  a  man  twice,  first 
shoot  and  then  stab  him.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  public 
sentiment  does  in  any  part  of  the  United  States  tolerate 
the  savage  practice  of  carrying  frightful  instruments  made 
on  purpose  to  destroy  human  life,  such  as  pistols,  dirks, 
and  Bowie-knives.  The  history  of  the  origin  of  the  latter 
should  be  disgusting  to  every  decent  man.  A  desperado 
in  west  Louisiana,  some  years  ago,  named  Bowie,  took  the 
blade  of  an  old  mill-saw  to  a  common  blacksmith,  and  got 
part  of  it  made  into  a  huge  butcher-knife,  to  which  he 
fixed  a  rough,  wooden  handle,  and  with  which  he  soon 
after  spilt  the  heart's  blood  of  his  enemy  on  a  sand-bar, 
east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  near  the  city  of  Natchez. 
Other  desperate  men,  seeing  the  success  of  this  experi- 
ment, had  similar  weapons  made,  and  called  them  Bowie- 
knives  ;  and  mechanics,  seeing  that  the  business  was  likely 
to  become  profitable,  commenced  manufacturing  fine  arti- 
cles of  the  same  name,  so  large,  of  such  material,  and 
fine  polish,  as  to  cost  from  twenty  to  fifty  dollars.  Nearly 
every  other  instrument  can  be  applied  to  some  useful  pur- 
pose; but  these  are  made  for  the  special  and  exclusive 
purpose  of  committing  murder.  It  is  true  that  many 
individuals  carry  them,  who  intend  to  make  no  other  use 
of  them  than  to  defend  themselves  when  attacked;  but 
the  whole  system  is  erroneous  in  principle  and  ruinous  in 
practice.  He  that  carries  a  Bowie-knife  must  expect  to  be 
met  by  Bowie-knife  men  on  his  own  ground,  and  run  the 
risk  of  being  killed  or  involved  in  prosecutions  for  hom- 
icide;   which    he    might    otherwise    avoid.      Beside,  the 


320  MIsUELLAKY. 

appearance  of  the  thing  is  shocking  to  all  the  better  feel- 
ings of  our  nature,  and  renders  a  man  liable  to  suspicion. 
Who  can  travel  as  a  stranger  through  the  country,  armed 
with  the  instruments  of  death,  and  not  be  suspected  by 
the  better  part  of  community  as  a  blackleg  or  desperado ! 
The  best  way  to  get  safely  through  a  strange  country  is 
to  travel  unarmed,  and  treat  every  body  civilly.  Most  of 
my  life  has  been  spent  in  journeying  among  strangers, 
without  any  weapons,  except  the  shield  of  faith  and  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit,  and  no  man  has  ever  assaulted  me. 

Tuesday,  14th.  Shortly  after  we  left  Randolph's,  the 
woods  suddenly  became  a  shade  darker  as  we  entered  the 
long-leafed  pine,  which  grows  on  the  poor  hills :  we  then 
came  down  to  Compte,  a  French  village  on  Red  river, 
where  they  really  cut  a  singular  figure  with  their  mud- 
houses,  blanket  coats,  capos,  spotted  ponies,  Spanish  sad- 
dles, and  great  wooden  stirrups.  At  the  lower  end  of 
the  village  we  met  some  Choctaw  women  and  children, 
with  a  load  of  cotton-baskets  for  sale ;  and  a  little  further 
on  we  saw  the  camp  where  they  were  manufactured,  in 
which  an  Indian  man  was  resting  horizontally,  while  the 
squaws  were  shaving  splits  and  weaving  baskets.  The 
chief  difference  we  observed  between  these  and  the  Span- 
ish Creole  ladies,  was,  the  Choctaw  ladies  were  rather 
fairer,  and  their  pappooses  wore  more  fringes  and  finery 
than  their  Spanish  neighbors.  As  we  passed  along  down 
the  bank  of  the  river,  it  was  reviving  to  our  spirits,  after 
coming  so  far  over  pine  hills,  to  observe  the  extended  fields 
of  luxuriant  cotton,  the  drills  running  parallel  with  the 
road,  the  stalks  as  high  as  the  fence,  and  so  thick  as 
nearly  to  conceal  the  ground  from  the  sight  of  the  eye. 
From  the  quantity  of  ground  planted,  and  the  number  of 
negro  huts  and  ginning  establishments,  we  judged  thai 
an  immense  amount  of  cotton  must  be  produced  on 
the  Red  river  bottoms.     The  plantations  are  handsomely 


NOTES     O  F    T  BAYSL.  321 

improved :  some  of  them  separated  by  long  lanes,  shaded 
by  continuous  rows  of  China  and  catalpa-trees ;  while 
others  had  preserved  fine  patches  of  cane,  by  inclosing 
them  so  as  to  exclude  the  stock.  Here,  too,  Ave  saw  the 
pecan-trees,  large  and  apparently  fruitful.  Six  miles 
from  Compte  brought  us  down  opposite  Grande  de  Core, 
which,  a  Frenchman  informed  us,  means  the  grand  hill,  a 
name  suggested  by  a  bold,  prominent  bluff  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  village,  covered  with  pines.  This  is  the  usual 
crossing  place ;  but  we  passed  on  to  the  lower  ferry,  in 
order  to  avail  ourselves  of  a  new  boat  and  better  road, 
and  crossed  at  the  head  of  the  cut-off,  two  miles  below 
Grande  de  Core,  and  three  or  four  above  Natchitoches. 
This  cut-off  comes  in  sixty  miles  below,  and  is  now  becom- 
ing the  main  channel,  so  that  boats,  to  avoid  the  raft  on 
the  old  channel,  come  up  the  new,  and  then  turn  down  to 
Natchitoches ;  and,  from  present  appearances,  Grande  de 
Core  must  finally  become  the  prominent  business  point  on 
the  river.  The  ferry  in  which  we  crossed  is  kept  by  a 
Frenchman,  slow-motioned,  surly,  and  exceedingly  profane. 
If  he  prove  faithful  to  the  principles  taught  him,  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  the  next  time  he  goes  to  confession  he  will 
remember  the  profane  oaths  which  he  swore  in  our  pres- 
ence, and  do  the  penance  which  his  confessor  may  award 
him.  Red  river  here,  as  in  other  places,  with  its  turbid 
waters,  rapid  current,  and  whirling  eddies,  suggests  the 
idea  of  a  river  of  cider  in  a  state  of  fermentation :  its 
breaking  shores  of  red  clay  imparts  to  it  a  reddish  hue, 
which,  no  doubt,  gave  rise  to  its  name.  We  were  glad  to 
be  safely  landed  on  the  south  side  of  it,  and  passing  out 
half  of  a  mile,  we  kindled  our  fire  by  a  pine  log  on  the 
point  of  a  hill  near  to  a  sort  of  spring  lake,  three  miles 
from  Natchitoches,  and  called  the  place  Long  Moss  Camp, 
the  weather  being  exceedingly  mild  and  pleasant. 

Wednesday,  15th.     Brother  Whipple  went  by  the  city 


322  MISCELLANY. 

to  deliver  and  inquire  for  letters,  etc.,  and  the  balance  of 
us  came  directly  across  to  the  Texas  road,  and  forming  a 
rio-ht  angle,  turned  our  faces  toward  the  west,  and  after 
going  twenty  miles  over  pine  hills,  without  seeing  any 
thing  specially  attractive,  slept  at  Bay  tree  Camp,  by  a 
sluggish  stream  of  poor  water. 

Yours,  as  ever,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Natchitoches  parish,  La.,  Dec.  15, 1841. 

LETTER  X. 

Brother  Elliott, — The  road  from  Natchitoches  to  the 
Sabine  is  broad,  much  traveled,  and  though  passing  over 
a  broken  country,  would  be  tolerably  pleasant,  if  it  were 
not  torn  to  pieces  by  the  cotton  wagons ;  but  we  were 
almost  constantly  meeting  teams  of  horses,  mules,  or  oxen, 
mostly  from  Texas,  drawing  ponderous  loads  of  this  staple 
to  Natchitoches,  the  great  cotton  depot  for  eastern  Texas, 
as  well  as  its  own  vicinity,  in  consequence  of  which  much 
of  the  road  was  in  bad  condition. 

Thursday,  16th,  in  the  forenoon,  we  passed  Fort  Jessup, 
on  high,  dry  ground,  twenty-five  miles  from  Natchitoches. 
The  houses  are  built  of  wood,  and  the  walks  shaded  with 
China-trees,  but  present  nothing  striking  in  appearance,  or 
materially  different  from  other  military  posts  on  the  front- 
ier. Much  money,  of  course,  has  been  expended  here 
by  the  Government,  but  how  profitably  to  the  country  I 
am  not  prepared  to  say.  We  saw  five  or  six  soldiers  only ; 
some  of  these  were  standing  about  the  street,  and  the 
others  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  fort,  walking 
about  leisurely  :  we  saw  no  other  persons,  except  two  men 
at  the  hotel,  and  some  very  rude  children  romping  about 
the  post-office.  It  is  supposed  by  some  that  if  the  best 
of  these  houses  were  rented  out  for  a  tavern-stand,  and 
the  fort  converted  into  a  yard  to  accommodate  the  wagons 
of   emigrants   and   cotton-planters,   it  might  save   some 


NOTES      OF     TRAVEL.  323 

expense  to  the  General  Government,  and  do  more  real 
service  to  the  country.  Of  this,  however,  I  profess  to 
know  nothing.  A  few  miles  beyond  the  fort  we  met  a 
small  drove,  say  twenty  fat  bullocks,  large  and  handsome, 
driven  from  the  Trinity,  and  going  to  the  Natchitoches 
market  Such  exports  of  cotton  and  stock  from  Texas 
must  bring  into  it  large  sums  of  good  money.  That  night 
we  lodged  at  the  Dry  Camp,  on  a  fine  ridge,  where  it 
was  difficult  to  obtain  a  sufficiency  of  good  water  for  our- 
selves and  horses,  though  in  all  other  respects  our  location 
was  comfortable,  and  the  more  so  as  we  were  well  shel- 
tered from  the  north-west  wind,  which  was  cold  enough 
to  form  some  ice  in  the  water  bucket. 

Friday,  17th,  we  came  down  to  Sabine  river,  at  Gaines's 
Ferry ;  stopped  on  the  east  shore ;  took  our  last  luncheon 
in  the  United  States ;  crossed  over  and  were  within  the 
limits  of  the  "virgin  republic."  Sabine  is  about  ten  rods 
wide,  its  banks  steep  and  high,  and  has  fourteen  feet  water 
in  the  channel.  The  bottom  lands  adjoining  are  wet  and 
poor,  producing  water-oak,  gum,  and  cypress.  Pendleton 
is  the  name  of  a  poor  village  on  the  west  bank,  containing 
some  six  or  eight  houses,  most  of  which  are  empty.  Leav- 
ing this  we  passed  over  level  ground,  plowing  through 
white  sand,  which  tried  the  strength  of  our  teams  for  four 
miles,  when  we  rose  on  to  high  ground  and  entered  the 
border  of  that  interesting  part  of  Texas  called  the  Red- 
lands,  which  is  thickly  settled  and  well  improved.  Our 
first  night  in  the  republic  was  passed  in  Redland  Camp, 
near  a  pure  fountain  of  excellent  spring  water,  clear,  soft, 
and  pleasant  to  the  taste,  a  short  distance  east  of  Milam. 
Here  we  found  ourselves  in  a  pleasant  and  plentiful  coun- 
try. Whatever  we  desired  for  ourselves,  or  horses,  was 
readily  obtained,  and  on  reasonable  terms,  compared  with 
what  we  had  been  paying  for  the  same  articles  in  Arkansas 
and  Louisiana.     We  added  to  our  imported  provisions  a 


324  MISCELLANY. 

mess  of  sweet  potatos,  winch  were  to  us  the  first-fruits 
of  the  land,  and  an  excellent  omen  of  its  good  things. 
The  night  was  cool,  but  clear,  and  so  perfectly  calm,  that 
the  smoke  went  up  from  our  hickory-log  fire  as  straight  as 
if  it  had  passed  through  a  stone  chimney.  Our  camp  was 
handsomely  illuminated  by  driving  down  a  stake  at  each 
front  corner,  splitting  the  top  and  introducing  torches  of 
lightwood.  We  had  one  of  our  best  camp  suppers,  felt 
every  way  cheerful,  happy,  and  joyful ;  spent  the  evening 
in  our  own  quiet  habitation,  singing  the  songs  of  Zion, 
among  others  the  Jubilee  of  the  Israelites,  and  with  some 
emphasis  when  we  came  to  these  words : 

u  Though  Baca's  vale  be  dry,  and  the  land  yield  no  supply, 
To  a  land  of  corn  and  wine,  we'll  go  on,  we'll  go  on,"  etc. 

Also  the  verse  which  refers  to  their  crossing  Jordan,  and 
entering  the  promised  land,  the  last  of  which  is, 

"Jehovah  rules  the  tide,  and  the  waters  he'll  divide, 
And  the  ransomed  host  shall  shout,  we  are  come,  we  are  come." 

Saturday  morning,  18th,  before  sunrise,  the  mercury 
fell  to  twenty-four  degrees  above  zero,  and  the  leaves  were 
handsomely  frosted  over,  but  all  melted  away  as  soon  as 
the  sun  shone  upon  it.  After  breakfast  we  passed  through 
Milam,  the  seat  of  justice  for  Sabine  county,  which  is  built 
on  the  red  clay,  and  contains  from  twelve  to  twenty  houses, 
nearly  the  color  of  the  dust  in  their  streets.  In  sight  of 
town  was  a  gallows  still  standing,  where  there  had  recently 
been  an  execution,  the  particulars  of  which  we  did  not 
learn,  and  I  only  advert  to  it  to  remind  bad  people  in  the 
United  States,  that  if  they  do  not  wish  to  be  hung,  they 
had  better  keep  away  from  Texas.  Just  at  the  west  end 
of  Milam  is  a  handsome  stream  of  water  called  Boreyas 
creek,  where  the  white  sycamore  and  large,  green  mag- 
nolia-trees formed  a  contrast  at  once  singular  and  beau- 
tiful.    The  Redlands   are  undulating,  rich,  and  judging 


NOTES     OF    TRAVEL.  325 

from  the  stocks  of  corn  and  cotton,  the)'  must  be  about  as 
productive  as  the  "bottoms"  of  the  Mississippi  and  Red 
rivers.  They  are  also  remarkably  well-watered,  abound- 
ing with  small  streams  from  never-failing  springs.  East 
of  the  Sabine  we  had  muddy  roads  and  dry  brooks,  but 
west  of  it  we  had  dry  roads  and  plenty  of  running  water. 
These  lands  are  likewise  well  timbered  with  hickory,  oak, 
and,  in  some  places,  pine  on  the  ridges.  In  the  richest 
land,  however,  the  most  common  growth  is  young  hickory, 
white  to  the  verv  center,  and  nearly  as  hard  as  lionumvitae. 
The  top  limbs  of  the  hickories  have  a  whitish  appearance  ; 
and,  standing  on  an  elevation  where  we  could  see  over  the 
forest  trees  for  miles,  the  vales  white  with  hickory,  and  the 
ridges  green  with  pine,  the  whole  presented  the  appear- 
ance- of  a  striped  carpet,  beautiful  beyond  description. 
We  occasionally  saw  quarries  of  building-stone  on  the 
points  of  ridges  sloping  down  to  the  runs,  but  none  in  the 
road,  which,  in  all  places  on  the  red  sod,  whether  level  or 
hilly,  was  perfectly  firm,  and  nearly  as  smooth  as  a  waxed 
floor.  That  it  becomes  soft  and  muddy  when  wet,  there 
is  no  doubt,  though  it  very  soon  dries  into  hardness  by 
the  action  of  wind  and  sun ;  but  when  we  came  through 
it  was  perfectly  dry.  There  are  in  this  part  of  the  republic 
an  enterprising  community,  and  strong  indications  of  grow- 
ing wealth  among  them. 

Saturday  evening  we  reached  San  Augustine,  the  seat 
of  justice  for  the  county  of  the  same  name.  This  is  one 
of  the  largest  towns  in  Texas,  containing  some  eight  hun- 
dred or  one  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  situated  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Ayisli  bayou.  The  houses  are  mostly 
frame,  and  painted  white.  There  is  in  the  town  an  acad- 
emy of  respectable  appearance;  also  a  new  Methodist 
chapel  about  forty  by  thirty  feet,  just  brought  into  use, 
but  not  finished.  We  were  glad  to  finish  this  tedious 
journey.  My  traveling  companions  had  come  from  the 
23 


326  MISCELLANY. 

extreme  north  part  of  Illinois,  more  than  one  thousand 
miles,  with  the  same  teams,  and  I  had  accompanied  them 
from  St.  Louis  to  this  place,  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  Our  time  from  St.  Louis  through  was  two  months; 
but  deducting  the  Sabbath  and  other  days  on  which  we 
stopped  to  preach  or  rest,  we  were  actually  on  the  road 
thirty -seven  days,  and  slept  in  our  own  camp  twenty 
nights.  Still  the  journey  has  been,  upon  the  whole,  quite 
a  pleasant  one.  We  were  much  favored  as  to  weather  and 
low  waters.  Our  company  was  pleasant,  and  when  in 
camp  we  were  not  annoyed  by  cigars,  whisky,  or  rude 
language.  We  were  often  weary,  and  sometimes  wet  and 
cold,  but,  by  the  blessing  of  a  kind  Providence,  preserved 
from  any  severe  sickness. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

San  Augustine,  Dec.  20,  1841. 

LETTER   XI. 

Brother  Elliott, — The  Texas  conference  met  on  the 
23d  instant,  in  the  city  of  San  Augustine.  Most  of  the 
members  were  present :  two  were  absent,  and  one  or  two 
of  those  in  attendance  were  in  poor  health.  There  has 
been  no  death  among  them  the  past  year ;  but  some  of  the 
first  band  of  missionaries  are  nearly  worn  out.  The  con- 
ference was  reinforced  by  four  transferred,  one  readmit- 
ted, and  three  young  men  admitted  on  trial ;  one  located, 
and  two  probationers  were  discontinued.  The  whole  num- 
ber of  names  on  the  Minutes  is  twenty-three — sixteen 
are  members  of  conference,  and  the  balance  are  on  trial. 

On  the  day  that  conference  commenced  its  session,  we 
were  receiving  the  full  force  of  a  norther,  which  was  pre- 
ceded by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  the  day  before.  It  continued 
quite  cold  for  this  country  the  balance  of  the  week;  and 
on  Sabbath  morning,  hail,  or  round  snow,  commenced 
falling  obliquely  from  the  east,  which  continued  till  after* 


N  ( >  T  F  S     O  F    T  R  A  V  E  L .  327 

noon,  when  it  assumed  the  form  of  a  cold  rain,  producing 
a  very  chilly  state  of  atmosphere,  which  of  course  less- 
ened our  congregation:  still  the  house  was  tolerably  well 
tilled  morning  and  afternoon.  Seven  deacons  and  two 
elders  were  ordained;  all  local  brethren,  except  three  of 
the  deacons. 

When  the  Texan  mission  was  instituted  in  1837,  it  was 
scarcely  to  be  expected  that  in  four  years  we  should  see 
here  an  annual  conference,  with  twenty-three  traveling 
and  thirty-six  local  preachers,  and  a  membership  of  two 
thousand,  seven  hundred  and  ninety-five;  but  so  it  is  in 
fact.  The  prospects  of  this  young  conference  are  truly 
encouraging.  Their  way  is  open  to  nearly  every  neigh- 
borhood and  village  in  the  republic ;  and  in  most  places 
Methodism  appears  to  be  favorably  received  by  the  people. 
We  have  the  ascendency  over  all  other  denominations; 
and  if  we  do  not  keep  it,  the  fault  will  be  our  own.  An 
itinerant  ministry,  which  is  best  for  all  countries,  is  spe- 
cially adapted  to  this,  in  the  present  scattered  condition  of 
the  inhabitants;  while  the  climate,  to  some  extent,  super- 
sedes the  necessity  of  chapels.  Camp  meetings  have  been 
held  to  advantage,  the  past  year,  in  December,  when  the 
people  were  healthy,  and  free  from  the  annoyance  of  mus- 
ketoes,  and  other  troublesome  insects. 

The  missionary  meeting  was  held  on  Monday  night; 
and  though  the  weather  was  damp  and  chilly,  it  was  well 
attended :  the  amount  collected  was  seventy-four  dollars 
and  forty-four  cents.  Some  jewelry  was  thrown  in,  after 
which  one  gave  four  town  lots,  another  fifteen  lots;  one 
one  hundred  acres  of  land,  two  others  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  each,  and  one  a  quarter  of  a  league.  All 
these  donations,  it  is  presumed,  will  be  available.  The 
lands  given  at  the  missionary  meeting,  last  year,  have 
been  legally  conveyed,  and  will  some  day  bring  the  cash 
into  the  treasury. 


328  MISCELLANY. 

Tuesday  evening,  the  conference  terminated  a  harmo- 
nious and  pleasant  session  of  five  days,  and  every  man 
repaired  to  his  own  field  of  labor,  ready  to  spend  and  be 
spent  in  its  cultivation. 

To-morrow  I  am  to  leave  for  Austin,  distant  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles.  My  health  is  good,  and  spirits 
cheerful. 

Yours,  as  ever,  T.  A.  Morris. 

San  Augustine,  Dec.  29, 1841. 

LETTER  XII. 
Brother  Elliott, — The  Redland,  which  I  attempted 
to  describe" in  a  former  communication,  includes  several 
counties  up  and  down  the  Sabine  river,  and  extends  west 
to  the  Attoaye,  which  is  the  line  between  San  Augustine 
and  Nacogdoches  counties.  After  passing  this  stream,  the 
land  assumes  more  of  a  chocolate  hue,  and  soon  ends  in 
sand,  of  which  very  much  of  the  last-mentioned  county 
consists.  It  was  on  Thursday,  December  30th,  that  we 
resumed  our  journey ;  and  having  been  detained  one  day 
over  our  appointed  time,  by  reason  of  a  cold,  north-east 
rain,  we  made  a  lona:  drive  to  reach  a  brother's  house  on 
the  way.  It  was  dark  before  we  got  there,  and  learned 
that  the  good  man  of  the  house  was  from  home,  and  the 
good  lady  was  sick,  and  of  course  could  not  receive  us, 
but  gave  us  horse-provender,  and  we  soon  found  shelter 
under  our  own  tent.  Brother  Carl,  on  his  way  to  Victoria 
circuit,  lodged  with  us  that  night.  When  the  sun  rose  upon 
us,  next  morning,  we  found  ourselves  in  the  city  of  Mel- 
rose, just  laid  out,  and  two  or  three  cabins  erected  for  a 
commencement.  Whether  we  were  on  Main-street,  or  on 
somebody's  lot,  is  not  known  to  us ;  but  in  either  case  we 
advanced  the  improvement  of  the  city,  by  cutting  down, 
logging  off,  and  burning  up  a  snarly  hickory-tree,  to  keep 
us  warm  and  cook  our  supper  and  breakfast. 


NOTES     OF     TBAVEL.  329 

Friday,  31st,  we  passed  through  Nacogdoches,  origin- 
ally a  Mexican  town,  and  at  present  a  mixture  of  Ameri- 
can and  Spanish  houses.  One  of  the  latter,  built  of  stone, 
is  said  to  be  nearly  one  hundred  years  old.  The  town  is 
small,  containing  some  three  or  four  hundred  inhabitant-, 
and  is  situated  on  a  plain  of  white  sand,  between  two  small 
creeks,  which  may  be  a  half  of  a  mile  asunder;  the  poor 
ridges  setting  in  on  both  sides.  When  we  came  through 
a  crowd  of  people  had  collected,  partly  to  pay  their  last 
respects  to  a  deceased  fellow-citizen,  and  partly  to  witness 
the  examination  of  a  man  charged  with  having  committed 
murder  a  few  days  prior  at  a  horse-race,  the  result  of 
which  examination  we  did  not  learn.  That  night  we 
lodged  at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Greer,  a  clever  Cumberland 
Presbyterian,  and  were  charged  nothing. 

Saturday,  January  1st,  we  passed  through  Douglass,  a 
small  village,  near  which  a  company  of  men  were  collected 
to  try  the  speed  of  their  quarter-nags,  and  spend  their 
surplus  shillings  at  the  place  of  strong  drink.  Such  meet- 
ings are  disgraceful  to  any  community ;  but  what  better 
could  we  expect  of  Texans,  seeing  they  come  mostly  from 
the  United  States,  where  horse-racing  is  encouraged  by 
law?  In  the  afternoon,  we  put  up  at  Mr.  M'Night's,  to 
rest  over  the  Sabbath,  and  to  preach,  if  opportunity 
offered. 

On  Sunday  we  went  to  a  school-house  at  the  Union 
camp-ground,  two  miles  from  Douglass,  to  hear  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Watkins,  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian  minister,  preach ; 
but,  at  his  special  request,  I  had  the  honor  to  become  his 
substitute,  and  brother  Clark  preached  at  the  village  in 
the  evening.  There  are  in  this  neighborhood  some 
Methodists,  Baptists,  and  Presbyterians,  and  plenty  of 
sinners. 

On  Monday  sister  Clark  was  so  much  indisposed,  that 
we  were  obliged  to  remain  another  day  with  Mr.  M'Night; 
28* 


330  MISCELLANY. 

however,  as  he  is  a  good  old  Presbyterian,  and  we  had 
preached  twice,  and  served  at  his  family  altar  every  night, 
he  let  us  off  with  fifteen  dollars  in  par  funds. 

Tuesday,  4th,  we  crossed  Angelina  and  Neches  rivers, 
both  small  streams,  such  as  would  be  called  creeks  in  the 
western  states.  Between  these  rivers  there  is  a  body  of 
handsome  land,  and  tolerably  rich,  being  nearly  all  the 
good  land  we  saw  in  Nacogdoches  county.  The  old  San 
Antonio  road,  which  we  traveled  here,  is  the  south  line  of 
what  is  called  the  Cherokee  land,  which  was  said  to  be 
given  by  the  Mexicans  to  the  Cherokees  for  their  service 
in  fighting  the  Camanchees  and  Texans ;  but  the  Texans 
never  acknowledged  the  claim  of  the  Cherokees,  and 
finding  them  troublesome,  drove  them  off,  and  are  set- 
tling it  themselves.  When  we  crossed  Neches  river,  we 
entered  Houston  county,  and  some  eight  miles  beyond 
lodged  at  a  good  house  of  entertainment,  kept  by  Mrs. 
M'Lean,  whose  husband  was  one  of  the  first  American 
settlers  in  the  republic.  The  fare  was  both  cheap  and 
comfortable. 

Wednesday,  5th,  we  passed  Crockett,  the  county  seat 
of  Houston.  The  town  is  new  and  small,  but  apparently 
improving.  That  evening  we  called  on  brother  Box,  a 
short  distance  beyond  Crockett,  who  cheerfully  received 
and  entertained  us  as  well  as  he  could. 

Thursday,  6th,  we  halted  at  a  new  Methodist  camp- 
ground, and  filled  our  vessels  with  water  to  serve  us 
through  an  unsettled  region  of  eighteen  miles,  where  no 
water  is  to  be  obtained.  In  the  afternoon  we  crossed  Bi<j; 
Prairie  —  high,  dry,  and  handsome,  but  not  rich  —  and 
saw  large  flocks  of  deer,  but  so  wild,  that  we  could  not 
approach  within  four  hundred  yards  of  them.  Leaving 
the  prairie,  we  came  down  through  poor  pine  woods,  and 
in  the  evening,  while  crossing  a  deep  ravine,  broke  the 
tongue  of  the  wagon,  which  detained  us  some;  however, 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  331 

about  dark,  we  reached  the  house  of  Mr.  Stephen  White, 
who  resides  near  Trinity  river,  east  side,  a  few  miles  below 
the  town  of  Cincinnati,  on  a  league  of  excellent  land, 
which  he  obtained  for  settling;  it,  and  on  which  he  has  a 
mill,  ferry,  etc. 

Friday  morning  we  crossed  the  Trinity,  which  is  per- 
haps twelve  rods  wide,  and  occasionally  affords  water 
enough  to  admit  steamboats  as  far  up  as  the  three  forks ; 
but  as  it  was  quite  low,  and  we  had  a  pilot,  we  forded  on 
a  smooth  rock,  just  above  a  sudden  fall  of  some  two  or 
three  feet.  Here  we  took  leave  of  eastern  Texas,  which, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Redlands  and  Cherokee  lands,  is 
generally  a  poor  country,  so  far  as  it  came  under  our 
observation.  The  bottom-land  of  the  Trinity  is  about 
four  miles  wide ;  on  the  east  side  low,  but  rich,  and  cov- 
ered with  cane  and  lofty  timber;  on  the  west  side  the 
bluff  is  high,  which  immediately  lets  into  prairie  and  open 
woodland,  both  fertile  and  beautiful.  Next  to  this,  we 
passed  poor  ridges  of  pine  and  oak  for  three  miles,  and 
then  entered  a  beautiful,  undulating  country,  of  prairie 
and  woodland  alternately,  which  continues,  with  but  slight 
intermissions,  across  the  entire  county  of  Montgomery. 
The  soil  is  black,  deep,  mixed  with  lime,  and  exceedingly 
productive.  That  evening,  unable  to  reach  our  intended 
quarters,  we  camped  in  the  edge  of  a  cane-brake,  near  the 
house  of  an  honest  Dutchman,  a  little  east  of  Huntsville, 
where  we  fared  sumptuously,  having,  among  other  good 
things,  a  wild  duck  and  two  young  squirrels  served  up 
into  a  pot-pie,  which  cost  brother  Whipple  a  hunt  of  about 
fifteen  minutes. 

Saturday  morning  we  passed  through  Huntsville,  a  little 
city  and  few  men  writhin  it,  and  most  of  them  collected  at 
the  house  called  tavern,  to  enjoy  the  pitiful  entertainment 
of  hearing  a  trifling  fellow  pat  his  foot  and  draw  his 
fiddle-bow,  to  kill  time  and  chase  dullness  from  the  city. 


332  MISOELLA  N  Y  . 

In  the  afternoon  we  came  down  to  the  Louse  of  brother 
William  Robinson — where  we  were  to  preach  next  day — 
who  had  gone  in  search  of  wild  honey,  and  returned  at 
night  without  success;  but  brought  in  some  excellent  veni- 
son. This  old  brother  has  lived  here  eleven  years,  on  a 
league  of  excellent  land  obtained  by  head-right;  has  a 
wife  and  ten  children  in  Texas,  all  members  of  our 
Church,  and  twenty-two  grandchildren,  who  are  natives 
of  Texas,  and  four  out  of  five  sons-in-law  are  also  Meth- 
odists ;  the  whole  forming  a  most  interesting  family.  We 
were  here  overtaken  by  brothers  Richardson,  Summers, 
and  Sullivan,  going  to  their  fields  of  labor.  Our  congre- 
gation of  Sabbath  morning  was  respectable  in  size  and 
appearance,  and  we  gave  them  two  sermons  at  one  sitting, 
some  of  them  having  come  ten  miles.  In  the  evening  we 
walked  over  to  the  new  camp-ground,  one  mile  off,  to 
unite  a  worthy  couple  in  the  honorable  relation  of  husband 
and  wife;  both  members  of  our  Church.  The  bride's 
father,  being  a  new-comer,  had  taken  his  winter-quarters 
in  one  of  the  double  log  camps.  After  I  performed  the 
marriao-e  ceremony,  the  company  adjourned  to  the  stand, 
where  some  others  had  assembled,  to  hear  brother  Sum- 
mers preach.  During  sermon  it  commenced  raining;  but 
the  congregation  and  preacher  were  all  under  a  good  shed, 
and  experienced  no  inconvenience  from  the  rain  till  they 
dispersed.  Let  it  be  recollected  this  night  meeting  at  a 
camp-ground,  without  any  fire,  except  pine  torches  for 
light,  was  on  the  ninth  of  January.  Returning  to  our 
lodging,  however,  through  rain,  mud,  and  darkness,  on 
foot,  was  not  very  pleasant  to  one  so  heavy  and  clumsy 
as  myself. 

Monday,  10th,  was  much  colder;  and  the  rain  continued 
all  day,  and  detained  us  within  doors,  except  brothers 
Richardson  and  Whipple,  who  left  in  the  afternoon. 

Tuesday,    11th,  we  crossed   San  Jacinto,  where   it  is 


N  0  T  E  S     0  F     TRAVEL.  333 

quite  a  narrow  creek,  and  reached  the  hospitable  dwelling 
of  brother  Porter,  lather  to  the  preacher  of  the  same 
name  in  the  Mississippi  conference,  on  tin-  main  Washing- 
ton road.  The  game  was  so  plentiful  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, we  concluded  it  was  no  marvel  that  most  men  who 
emigrate  to  Texas  become  hunters,  and  especially  when  it 
is  considered  that  provisions  are  high;  but  this  practice 
greatly  retards  the  business  of  the  country,  by  leading  to 
idleness  and  the  neglect  of  more  important  pursuits.  And 
yet,  in  view  of  the  present  condition  of  the  vermin  and 
savage  men,  the  practice  of  keeping  guns  and  dogs  at 
every  house  should  not  be  hastily  condemned. 

Wednesday,  12th,  we  traveled  twenty  miles,  to  brother 
King's,  in  a  neighborhood  which,  for  rich  land  and  beauti- 
ful  sites,  excels  any  thing  we  had  seen  in  the  republic. 
The  prairies  of  Illinois  are  frequently  wide  and  without 
timber,  except  on  the  water  courses;  but  here  the  timber 
is  irregularly  distributed,  without  any  reference  to  the 
small  streams,  except  that  the  red  cedar  grows  mostly 
along  the  branches  and  ravines,  and  the  deep,  black  soil 
continues  from  the  tops  of  the  ridges  to  the  very  edge  of 
the  water,  so  that  there  is  scarcely  any  waste  land.  In 
some  places  a  rich  prairie  will  have  green  borders  of  pine, 
growing  on  sandy  ridges,  so  that  a  man  can  build  on 
white  sand  amidst  evergreens  ;  and,  immediately  adjoining 
his  yard,  cultivate  fields  of  the  best  marl-lime,  entirely 
free  from  timber.  And  where  the  pine  begins  to  fail,  the 
red  cedar  comes  in,  affording  abundance  of  the  best  timber 
for  shingles,  posting  and  railing,  and  even  lumber  for 
barns  and  houses.  Near  brother  King's  we  passed  the 
body  of  an  unfinished  meeting-house,  and  close  by  saw  a 
circular  cluster  of  cedars  curtained  with  Spanish  moss, 
and  in  the  midst  of  them  a  neat  stand  with  benches  con- 
veniently arranged  for  public  worship,  with  an  open  prairie 
on  one  side  and  a  dense  cedar  forest  on  the  other.     This 


334:  MISCELLANY. 

was  one  of  the  most  lovely  spots  I  ever  saw  for  outdooi 
worship,  and  is  designed  not  for  camp  meeting,  but 
ordinary  circuit  preaching.  May  Methodism  long  shed 
its  heavenly  influence  around  this  consecrated  and 
enchanting  green  chapel! 

Thursday,  13th,  the  country  appeared  less  inviting  as 
we  neared  the  Brazos  river,  though  the  bottom,  on  the 
east  side,  about  three  miles  across,  is  rich  enough  to  be 
very  muddy.  The  river  is,  perhaps,  eighty  yards  wide, 
and  the  banks  very  high  and  steep,  but  at  present  not 
much  depth  of  water.  As  we  ascended  the  hill  from  the 
ferry  on  the  west  side,  we  entered  the  town  of  Washing- 
ton, late  the  seat  of  justice  for  Washington  county,  which 
contains,  probably,  about  fifty  or  sixty  houses,  and  is 
apparently  on  the  decline,  though  in  the  midst  of  a  fine 
country.  Having  proceeded  west  to  the  middle  of  the 
town,  we  turned  at  right  angles  to  the  north,  about  three 
hundred  yards,  to  the  old  graveyard,  which  is  situated  on 
a  dry  ridge  in  open  woods.  Our  business  was  to  seek  out 
the  grave  of  Dr.  Ruter,  the  apostle  of  Methodism  in 
Texas,  who  died  at  his  post  May  16,  1838.  The  mourn- 
ful spot  sought  for  was  easily  found  without  a  guide,  the 
grave  being  inclosed  by  a  stone  wall,  and  covered  with  a 
white  marble  slab,  three  feet  wide  and  six  long,  with  a  suit- 
able inscription.  At  the  foot  of  the  slab  stands  a  small 
hickory-tree,  hung  with  Spanish  moss,  waving  in  the  breeze 
over  the  charnel-house.  As  we  stood  under  this  tree 
reading  the  solemn  epitaph,  the  sun  was  disappearing  in 
the  west,  while  a  thousand  thoughts  of  the  past  rushed 
upon  our  minds,  and  forcibly  reminded  us  that  our  own 
days  would  soon  be  numbered.  With  Dr.  Ruter  I  had 
often  united  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  crowded  assemblies 
in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  He  now  rests  from  all  his  toil, 
enjoying  the  promised  reward ;  and  if  faithful  to  the  grace 
given,  may  I  not  hope  soon  to  join  with  him  in  the  song 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL,  335 

of  final  and  everlasting  triumph?  When  we  read  on  the 
cold  marble,  "thirty-seven  years  an  itinerant  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  superintendent  of 
the  first  mission  of  that  Church  in  the  republic  of  Texas," 
and  then  remembered  that  the  same  mission  had  already 
become  a  respectable  annual  conference,  and  was  still  in- 
creasing, the  thought  arose,  whereunto  will  this  mission 
grow,  and  what  cause  of  rejoicing  must  this  be  to  its  first 
superintendent  forever?  Our  visiting  the  graveyard  at 
sundown  in  a  village  where  we  knew  no  one,  and  where 
no  one  knew  us,  seemed  to  excite  some  curiosity.  A  col- 
ored boy,  sent  no  doubt  for  the  purpose,  came  and  inquired 
whence  we  journeyed?  Our  answer  was,  "Into  all  the 
world."  That  night  we  were  kindly  received  and  enter- 
tained at  the  house  of  brother  Lynch,  sheriff  of  the  county, 
two  miles  west  of  town. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Washington,  Texas,  Jan.  13, 1842. 

LETTER  XIII. 
Brother  Elliott, — As  we  came  west  from  the  vicinity 
of  Washington,  the  scenery  was  delightful ;  every  sensa- 
tion of  pleasure  which  extended  plains,  spotted  with 
clumps  of  evergreens,  grazing  herds,  and  cultivated  fields, 
all  basking  in  the  bright  beams  of  a  calm  sunny  morning, 
could  inspire,  was  ours.  A  little  east  of  Independence 
we  gained  the  most  commanding  elevation  which  our  eyes 
beheld  in  the  republic.  Standing  on  this  most  lovely  emi- 
nence, the  eye  calmly  rested  on  many  objects  of  beauty 
near  at  hand,  such  as  small  islands  of  timber,  farm-houses, 
and  the  village  below,  while  the  general  appearance  was 
that  of  boundless  expanse,  filling  the  mind  with  pleasure 
and  admiration.  Passing  through  Independence,  we 
arrived,  on  Friday  evening,  at  Dr.  Hoxey's,  near  the 
academy,  where  we  were  expected  to  preach  the  two  fol- 


336  MISCELLAIN  Y  . 

lowing  days.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  neighborhoods  we 
have  yet  seen  in  Texas.  The  meeting  was  well  attended  ; 
but  having  no  place  of  worship,  only  the  academy,  which 
is  occupied  in  common  by  all  the  religious  denominations 
of  the  country,  our  prospect  of  usefulness  is  rather  limited, 
till  our  people  shall  build  a  chapel  in  town,  of  which 
there  is  some  prospect.  Still,  there  is  much  cause  of 
gratitude  in  what  has  been  accomplished.  A  revival  of 
religion,  which,  I  believe,  commenced  under  the  preaching 
of  brother  F.  some  time  ago,  resulted  in  the  conversion  of 
several  families,  some  of  whom  joined  our  Church.  May 
they  walk  in  Christ  as  they  have  received  him ! 

Monday,  1 7th,  we  proceeded  on,  amidst  scenes  of  beauty 
and  grandeur  peculiar  to  this  region  of  the  republic,  to 
Capt.  Crisman's,  and  preached  in  the  evening,  where  we 
had  more  hearers  than  house  room,  who  listened  atten- 
tively to  our  plain  talk.  The  Captain  was  an  early  settler 
in  Colonel  Austin's  colony,  and  has  resided  in  Texas 
nearly  twenty  years,  and  gave  us  many  interesting  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  history  of  that  colony.  When 
Capt.  C.  arrived,  there  were  only  about  forty  families  on 
the  two  rivers,  Brazos  and  Colorado,  most  of  whom  went 
out  with  himself,  and  the  few  Mexicans  about  Nacogdoches 
and  San  Antonio  were  a  long  distance  off.  The  colonists 
suffered  much ;  some  lived  six  months,  and  others  a  year 
or  more,  without  ever  eating  a  bit  of  bread,  depending  on 
deer,  turkey,  and  the  like,  for  a  subsistence.  As  for  him- 
self, he  was  four  years  without  a  shoe,  sock,  shirt,  or  any 
clothing,  except  what  he  made  of  skins;  and  for  the  first 
ten  years  never  heard  a  sermon.  He  is  now  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances, well  fixed  for  good  living,  and,  with  his  family 
and  many  of  his  neighbors,  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of 
religion  after  the  Methodist  sort;  and,  of  course,  rejoices 
exceedingly  in  the  civil  and  religious  improvement  of  the 
republic. 


NOTES      OF     TRAVEL.  337 

The  next  day  we  were  received  and  entertained  very 
cordially  by  brother  H.  Kerr  and  family,  after  our  day's 
journey.  The  old  gentleman  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  quite- 
intelligent  and  communicative,  and  somewhat  conspicuous 
as  the  author  of  "A  Poem  on  Texas,"  which  purports  to 
be  a  history  of  the  republic  in  verse.  In  the  evening  his 
neighbors  came  in,  and  filled  the  room,  to  whom  we  deliv- 
ered a  short  sermon  and  exhortation. 

Wednesday,  19th,  we  reached  Rutersville,  in  Fayette 
county,  and  were  made  welcome  by  our  Christian  friends. 
Rutersville  is  a  village  situated  on  an  elevated  prairie,  but 
contiguous  to  groves  of  timber,  five  miles  from  the  Colo- 
rado river,  and  is  distinguished  chiefly  by  the  location  of 
Rutersville  College  in  its  immediate  vicinity.  The  enter- 
prise, I  believe,  originated  With  Dr.  Ruter,  during  his  short 
but  glorious  career  of  missionary  operation  in  that  country. 
A  preparatory  school  was  commenced  in  1840,  and  had 
last  year  some  eighty  students.  The  Faculty  are  organ- 
ized, and  ready  to  organize  regular  college  classes :  the 
teachers  are  the  Rev.  Chauncey  Richardson,  President; 
Rev.  Charles  W.  Thomas,  professor  of  ancient  languages ; 
Mr.  Bell,  tutor;  and  Mrs.  Richardson  has  charge  of  the 
female  department.  The  college  edifice,  which  is  a  frame 
building,  but  quite  respectable  for  a  new  country,  is  nearly 
finished,  and  stands  on  a  hill  in  the  edge  of  a  forest  south 
of  the  village,  while  the  academy  occupied  by  the  female 
teacher  and  pupils  is  situated  on  the  west  side,  where  the 
ground  is  less  elevated,  but  more  retired  and  picturesque. 
This  institution  is  under  the  patronage  and  supervision  of 
the  Texas  annual  conference,  but  open  to  the  public  gen- 
erally on  the  same  principle  of  our  colleges  in  the  United 
States,  and  has  flattering  prospects  of  extensive  patronage 
and  usefulness.  Congress  has  granted  them  a  regular 
college  charter,  with  the  usual  prerogatives  of  conferring 
degrees,  and  a  donation  of  seventeen  thousand  acres  of 
29 


338  MISCELLANY. 

land,  which  has  been  increased  by  individual  donations, 
obtained  chiefly  by  the  agency  of  President  Richardson, 
till  the  whole  amount  of  land  owned  by  the  College  is 
about  seventy-five  thousand  acres.  If  the  Board  can 
raise  funds  to  complete  the  necessary  improvement,  and 
pay  incidental  expenses,  without  sacrificing  the  real  estate, 
the  institution  will  ultimately  be  well  endowed.  The  char- 
ter exempts  the  College  lands  from  taxation,  and  allows  the 
corporation  to  hold  property  to  the  amount  of  $100,000, 
exclusive  of  the  buildings,  library,  and  apparatus.  The 
Rev.  Littleton  Fowler,  and  the  Rev.  John  Haynie,  are 
regularly-authorized  agents  to  collect  funds  for  Rutersville 
College  this  year.  On  Sunday,  January  23,  we  preached 
in  the  college  chapel,  crowded  with  attentive  hearers. 

The  country  between  the  Brazos  and  Colorado  rivers, 
by  the  route  we  came,  is  one  of  exceeding  beauty  and 
fertility,  much  like  the  country  between  the  Brazos  and 
Trinity,  except  that  the  former  affords  more  prairie  and 
less  pine  than  the  latter.  But  the  entire  country,  from 
the  Trinity  to  the  Colorado,  is,  with  the  exception  of  some 
limited  sections,  an  excellent  one.  If  a  man  wished  to 
engage  in  planting  cotton,  or  raising  stock,  or  both,  he 
could  scarcely  find  a  substantial  objection  to  it,  except  the 
inconvenience  of  getting  his  produce  to  market,  which 
would  apply  forcibly  to  much  of  it.  In  this  part  of  the 
republic  Indian  corn  grows  tolerably  well,  and  nearly  all 
sorts  of  culinary  vegetables,  except  Irish  potatos,  are 
easily  produced  in  great  abundance ;  so  are  peaches, 
plums,  grapes,  melons,  etc. ;  but  for  wheat  flour,  the 
only  certain  dependence  is  importation  from  the  states. 

Monday,  24th,  I  resumed  my  journey,  and  traveled  up 
the  Colorado,  on  the  north-east  side,  twenty-five  miles,  to 
Mr.  Middleton  Hill's,  where  I  was  very  kindly  enter- 
tained. That  night  it  rained,  and  next  day  turned  quite 
cold,  of  which  I  had  ample  proof  while  riding  against  the 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  339 

storm.  After  preaching  to  a  small  congregation  at  Gage's 
school-house,  where  brother  Whipple  met  me,  we  rode  in 
company,  crossed  the  river,  dined  at  brother  Wiley  Hill's, 
and  spent  the  night  at  Mrs.  M' Gee's  very  pleasantly.  I 
was  delighted  with  the  people  of  this  neighborhood.  They 
reside  in  a  circle  around  a  small  but  beautiful  prairie  of 
excellent  land.  That  night  the  Indians,  who  had  been  for 
some  nights  collecting  a  drove  of  horses  in  a  pen  on  Cedar 
creek,  came  to  a  house,  in  sight  of  where  we  lodged  across 
the  prairie,  and  stole  five :  also,  several,  the  same  night, 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  Indeed,  it  was  said 
by  the  citizens,  that  they  had  not  left  enough  horses  and 
mules  on  the  river  to  enable  them  to  raise  their  crop. 
Most  families,  who  did  not  watch  or  lock  up  their  horses, 
lost  them.  It  was  matter  of  accommodation  to  us  on  our 
journey  that  they  did  not  take  ours. 

Next  day  we  preached  at  Bastrop,  under  the  roar  of 
artillery,  the  signal  for  collecting  minute  men  to  go  in 
pursuit  of  the  Indians.  Our  congregation  was  quite 
respectable  for  a  week-day,  and  very  attentive,  consider- 
ing the  circumstances ;  but  at  each  report  of  the  cannon 
many  of  them  would  involuntarily  spring  from  their  seats ; 
and  after  all  we  had  a  very  comfortable  meeting  to  many. 
The  same  afternoon  we  recrossed  the  river  and  proceeded 
on  fourteen  miles,  through  an  unsettled  and  poor  region 
of  country,  to.  brother  Haynie's,  where  we  tarried  for  the 
night ;  and  on  Thursday,  27th,  finished  our  journey  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Austin  City.  This  day  several  objects 
attracted  our  attention :  the  muskeet  grass,  which  contin- 
ues green  all  winter,  resorted  to  by  herds  of  cattle,  and 
covered  with  flocks  of  geese  and  cranes  to  an  extent  in- 
credible to  any  one  who  has  never  seen  them,  the  Onion 
creek  lands,  with  the  Colorado  on  the  right,  the  Pilot 
Mountain  and  Austin  City  ahead,  and  apparently  a  bound- 
less waste  on  the  left,  presented  a  prospect  of  inimitable 


340  MISCELLANY. 

beauty.  In  the  afternoon  we  reached  the  country  resi- 
dence of  Judge  Webb,  two  miles  below  the  city,  which  is 
situated  in  a  grove  of  live-oaks,  on  a  handsome  eminence, 
overlooking  his  cultivated  fields  and  forests  on  the  low- 
land, and  is  remarkably  pleasant  and  inviting.  Here  I 
spent  several  days  pleasantly  with  the  Judge  and  his 
family,  and  my  own  son,  whom  I  had  not  seen  during  the 
three  years  he  had  resided  in  Texas.  Only  one  thing 
embarrassed  me,  and  that  was  a  heavy  cold  settled  on  my 
lungs,  which  entirely  disqualified  me  for  any  public  service 
for  some  days,  in  consequence  of  which  I  did  not  attempt 
to  preach  in  Austin,  nor  was  I  in  the  city  at  all,  only  long 
enough  to  hear  one  sermon  on  Sabbath  morning,  by 
brother  Clark,  the  presiding  elder  of  the  district.  The 
capital,  situated  in  the  Colorado  Valley,  and  in  full  view 
of  the  only  mountains  we  saw  in  the  republic,  presents  an 
air  of  beauty,  and  appears  somewhat  romantic.  I  made 
no  examination,  however,  and  decline  any  particular  de- 
scription of  it.  The  arguments  in  favor  of  the  location 
of  the  capital  must  be  drawn  chiefly  from  considerations 
of  beauty,  romance,  and  solitude,  for  between  it  and  the 
populated  part  of  the  country  there  is  no  connecting  liga- 
ment but  a  narrow  string  of  settlements  alone:  the  Col- 
orado.  To  reach  Austin  City  from  Galveston  requires 
a  journey  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles,  and  to 
reach  it  from  the  Sabine  on  the  east  requires  a  journey 
of  about  four  hundred.  It  may  be  geographically  central, 
but  it  certainly  is  not  so  to  the  inhabited  parts  of  the 
republic. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Austin,  Texas,  Feb.  1,  1842. 

LETTER  XIV. 
Brother  Elliott, — On  Monday,  31st  of  January,  we 
commenced  retracing  our  steps,  and  returned  to  Ruters- 
ville  by  nearly  the  same  route,  crossing  the  river  at  sundry 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  311 

places.  The  Colorado  is  a  rapid  stream  of  clear  water, 
about  twenty  rods  wide,  passing  over  a  gravel  bottom, 
between  prominent  bluff  banks,  through  one  of  the  finest 
sections  of  the  republic,  affording,  perhaps,  more  pictur- 
esque and  elegant  building  sites,  and  more  fine  groves  of 
red  cedar,  ash,  and  elm,  than  any  other  part  which  came 
under  my  observation,  and  with  at  least  as  good  a  pros- 
pect of  health  as  any  interior  point.  The  range  on  this 
river  is  exceedingly  fine :  beside  the  prairie  grass  common 
to  the  country,  there  is  the  finest  sort  of  rye  bottoms  for 
the  stock  in  winter,  as  green  and  fresh  in  January  as  a 
field  of  tame  rye  in  April.  The  scenery  of  the  Colorado 
is  wild,  but  lovely  and  inviting.  Much  of  the  land  is  rich 
and  cheap,  and  would  probably  be  settled  as  fast  as  any 
other  part  of  the  republic,  were  it  not  so  exposed  to 
Indian  depredations.  This  is  at  present  a  formidable  dif- 
ficulty :  there  is  no  barrier  between  the  settlements  and 
the  Indian  country,  nor  any  provision  of  Government  for 
their  defense.  If  the  Camanchees  were  like  the  northern 
Indians  that  resisted  the  settlement  of  Kentucky  and 
Western  Virginia,  they  would  very  soon  destroy  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Colorado;  but  they  are  wild,  cowardly, 
and,  having  but  few  guns,  are  slow  to  attack  the  white 
man  with  his  fire-arms,  except  when  they  have  a  decided 
advantage,  then  they  will  let  their  pointed  arrows  fly,  and 
often  with  fatal  consequence.  These  wild  Indians  live 
like  Arabs;  they  have  no  certain  dwelling-place,  pass 
much  of  their  time  on  horseback  armed  with  spears,  and 
having  a  vast  extent  of  country  to  range  in,  it  is  difficult 
to  dislodge  or  subdue  them.  Perhaps  in  thirty  hours 
after  the  commission  of  theft  or  murder,  they  may  be  one 
hundred  miles  from  the  scene  of  atrocity,  and  so  scattered 
that  they  can  be  trailed  no  further. 

Friday,  February  4th,  brother  Alexander  met  and  pro- 
ceeded  on   with   me   toward   Houston.     That   night  we 
29* 


3±2  Al  I  S  C  K  L  L  A  N  Y  . 

staid  with  Colonel  Thomas,  and  next  day  reached  the 
neighborhood  of  Center  Hill,  where  our  congregation  on 
the  Sabbath  was  quite  too  large  for  the  school-house, 
nearly  one-half  having  to  remain  out  of  doors. 

Monday,  7th,  we  passed  the  ruins  of  the  late  residence 
of  Colonel  Austin,  which  was  destroyed  during  the  revo- 
lution, and  spent  the  night  with  Dr.  H.  Matthews,  for- 
merly of  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  San  Phillipe,  which,  by  order 
of  General  Houston,  was  burnt  by  the  Texan  army  as 
they  retreated  before  the  enemy,  but  has  been  since 
rebuilt.  It  is  the  seat  of  justice  for  Austin  county,  and 
stands  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Brazos  river.  Dr.  Ma- 
thews's family  were  in  mourning  for  the  recent  death  of 
Mrs.  Hill,  their  only  daughter;  still  our  interview  with 
these  esteemed  old  friends  was  cheerful  and  pleasant. 
The  country  across  from  the  Colorado  to  the  Brazos  is 
nearly  such  as  I  have  endeavored  to  portray  before  be- 
tween these  rivers.  On  crossing  the  river  next  morning, 
we  took  leave  of  the  undulating  section  of  Texas,  and 
passed  fifty  miles  over  a  level  plain,  generally  wet  and 
without  timber,  or  any  thing  of  interest  to  rest  the  eye  on 
or  break  the  monotonous  scene,  except  the  immense  flocks 
of  deer  which  range  over  this  desolation  like  droves  of 
sheep.  Wild  horses  also  are  here,  it  is  said,  though  I 
saw  none  of  them. 

Wednesday,  8th,  we  reached  Houston  in  safety,  and 
were  kindly  and  comfortably  entertained  at  Miss  Morgan's 
boarding-house  while  waiting  for  a  boat.  Here  we  parted 
with  brother  Alexander,  who  very  kindly  accompanied  us 
to  take  back  brother  Clark's  buggy,  in  which  I  had' trav- 
eled from  St.  Louis  to  that  place,  a  journey  of  more  than 
thirteen  hundred  miles.  Houston  contains  some  three 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  presents  quite  a  business-like 
appearance. 

Thursday  my  son  and  I  took  passage  on  the  steamboat 


NOTES     OF     T  E  A  V  1 C  L  .  343 

Patrick  Henry  for  Galveston.  The  Buffalo  Bayou  is,  in 
many  places,  just  wide  enough  for  the  steamboat  to  pass, 
brushed  by  the  boughs  of  trees  on  both  sides.  Its  banks, 
shaded  with  cypress,  pine,  magnolia,  and  wild  peach- 
trees,  are  more  enchanting*  than  I  was  prepared  to  expect. 
The  town  of  Harrisburg,  twelve  miles  below  Houston, 
presents  some  specimens  of  good  taste  in  the  arrangement 
of  buildings  and  their  appurtenances.  Night  fell  on  us 
just  before  we  passed  the  far-famed  battle-ground  of  San 
Jacinto.  Next  morning  we  awoke  on  the  bay,  and  were 
soon  in  the  city  of  Galveston,  the  grand  port  of  entry  to 
the  republic.  The  island  appears  to  be  a  dry  sand  plain 
without  timber,  but  covered  with  grass  and  flowers  like 
other  prairies,  and  has  the  smoothest  and  most  beautiful 
beach  I  ever  saw.  It  is  said  to  be  thirty  miles  long,  and 
one  and  a  half  wide,  is  surrounded  by  salt  water,  and  is 
thought  to  be  one  of  the  most  healthy  places  in  the  repub- 
lic, or  any  where  else.  The  city  resembles  a  New  Eng- 
land village,  as  to  the  arrangement  of  lots  and  houses ; 
but  the  docks  and  shipping  give  it  the  appearance  of  a 
commercial  city  on  the  sea-board.  Its  inhabitants  made  a 
very  satisfactory  showing  of  intelligence  and  refined  hos- 
pitality during  our  sojourn  among  them,  while  waiting  for 
a  passage  across  the  gulf,  and,  from  the  attention  which 
they  paid  to  preaching,  do  not  seem  to  be  indifferent  on 
the  subject  of  religion. 

Before  I  lose  sight  of  Texas,  I  wish  to  add  a  few  gen- 
eral remarks.  I  went  there  prepared  to  see  a  mixed 
country,  containing  rich,  poor,  and  medium  land,  and  was 
not  disappointed,  only  the  proportion  of  good  country  is 
larger  than  I  supposed.  The  country,  of  course,  is  new, 
but  as  a  new  country  I  consider  it  inviting;  and  though 
the  improvements  are  yet  limited,  I  must  say  that,  in  my 
opinion,  they  are  underrated  abroad.  The  climate,  taking 
the  calendar  year  together,  must  be  more  pleasant  than 


344  MISOELLA  N  Y  . 

that  of  Cincinnati ;  the  days  being-  nearly  an  hour  longer 
in  the  winter,  and  an  hour  shorter  in  summer,  bring  the 
temperament  of  the  atmosphere  within  less  extremes  of 
heat  and  cold,  producing  more  uniformity.  The  water, 
whether  from  springs  or  wells,  is  rather  warm,  but,  to  me, 
pleasant,  except  in  a  few  places,  where  it  is  too  strongly 
impregnated  with  lime.  After  performing  a  tour  of  seven 
hundred  miles  through  the  republic,  and  making  diligent 
inquiry  in  every  place,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  as  a 
whole,  it  was  healthy  for  a  new  country,  of  which  the 
number  and  robust  appearance  of  the  children  are  conclu- 
sive evidence.  That  some  sections  of  it  are  sickly,  must 
be  admitted;  but  much  affliction,  which  some  people 
charge  to  the  climate,  should  be  put  to  the  account  of 
their  own  imprudence,  living  in  open  houses,  exposing 
themselves  to  inclement  weather,  etc.  The  facilities  for 
making  a  living  in  Texas  are  such,  that  if  the  people 
would  use  half  the  diligence  which  is  necessary  to  prevent 
starvation  in  the  older  parts  of  the  United  States,  they 
might  render  their  circumstances  easy  and  independent  in 
a  few  years.  If  any  one  doubts  this,  let  him  reflect  on 
the  following  items :  good  land  from  fifty  cents  to  one 
dollar  an  acre,  no  clearing  to  do,  just  fence  and  plow ;  and 
instead  of  toiling  six  months  to  raise  what  is  indispensable 
to  keep  his  stock  alive  the  other  half  of  the  year,  his  cat- 
tle are  fat  all  the  year  without  a  feed  of  grain,  or  fodder, 
or  a  lick  of  salt.  Any  man  in  Texas,  who  can  build  a 
cabin  and  raise  breadstuff,  can  live  after  the  first  year, 
and  if  he  will  be  industrious  and  economical,  he  can 
thrive.  Indeed,  the  ease  with  which  a  mere  living  can 
be  made  has  retarded  the  improvement  of  the  country, 
led  to  idleness,  dissipation,  dependence  on  loans,  specula- 
tion, and  hunting ;  but  the  people  are  becoming  convinced 
that  this  plan  will  not  do,  and  have  gone  to  plowing 
and  digging,  making  new  farms,  and  extending  old  ones 


N  O  T  E  S     OF     TKAVEL.  34:5 

rapidly.  It  is  thought  from  fifty  to  seventy  thousand 
bales  of  cottou  have  been  exported  the  past  winter,  and 
that  the  number  will  be  doubled  next.  They  have,  also, 
cut  down  the  expenses  of  the  government  largely,  done 
away  with  the  government  scrip  as  a  circulating  medium, 
and  require  gold  and  silver,  or  its  equivalent,  for  all  im- 
post duties  and  nearly  all  other  government  dues,  are 
determined  to  rub  out  the  old  score  and  begin  anew.  If 
they  hold  on  to  the  ground  they  are  now  taking,  in  three 
years  they  will  be  beyond  the  need  of  a  loan,  unless  in 
case  of  war  with  some  foreign  power.  The  character  of 
the  Texans,  I  beg  leave  to  say,  is  not  generally  under- 
stood abroad.  He  who  goes  to  Texas  presuming  on  his 
own  intelligence  and  their  want  of  it,  will  find  himself 
mistaken.  I  am  acquainted  with  no  community  of  the 
same  number,  which  embodies  more  shrewd,  intelligent 
men  than  that  of  the  single  star  republic.  We  know  as 
little  of  their  moral  as  of  their  intellectual  character. 
Because  some  men,  bankrupt  in  morals,  have  been  pro- 
moted to  office  in  Texas,  some  have  concluded  that  they 
were  all  scoundrels  together;  but  the  same  mode  of  rea- 
soning wrould  blast  the  moral  character  of  the  United 
States.  The  laws  in  Texas  are  comparatively  few  and 
simple,  and  are  better  enforced  than  our  own.  For  ex- 
ample, every  man  familiar  with  steamboats  and  taverns  in 
the  United  States  knows  that  most  of  them  are  infested 
with  blacklegs,  a  perfect  nuisance  to  society,  carrying  on 
their  iniquitous  trade  with  impunity ;  but  in  Texas,  any 
man  playing  with  cards  in  any  place  of  public  resort, 
whether  for  money  or  amusement,  is  liable  to  be  fined  and 
imprisoned,  and  the  proper  authorities  are  not  slow  in 
punishing  him  as  the  law  requires.  But  are  there  not 
robberies  and  murders  committed  in  Texas?  Yes;  and 
so  there  are  in  our  own  country.  The  common  notion 
that  all  the  bad  people  go  to  Texas  can  not  be  true,  or 


S±6  MISCELLANY. 

there  would  not  be  so  many  of  them  left  among  us.  But 
I  can  not  pursue  the  subject  farther,  lest  I  weary  the 
reader. 

When  we  arrived  in  Galveston,  we  were  agreeably  sur- 
prised to  meet  our  friend  and  brother  Sehon,  agent  of  the 
American  Bible  Society.  He  returned  with  us  to  New 
Orleans  in  the  splendid  steamship  Neptune.  We  suffered 
the  usual  amount  of  inconvenience  from  head  winds  and 
seasickness ;  but  the  urbane  commander,  Captain  Rollins, 
and  his  amiable  family,  did  all  that  could  be  done  to  ren- 
der us  comfortable,  during  a  difficult  passage  of  fifty-six 
hours  from  port  to  port.  I  here  close  my  long  series  of 
letters  written  in  haste,  by  piecemeal,  as  I  could  redeem 
time  on  a  difficult  journey. 

As  ever,  yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

New  Orleans,  Feb.  21, 1842. 


A  TKIP  TO  THE  INDIAN  MISSION  CONFERENCE. 

NUMBER  I. 
Brother  Elliott, — The  Missouri  conference  having 
closed  its  protracted  session  on  the  4th  of  October,  I  took 
passage  the  same  day  on  the  steamboat  Yucatan,  bound 
for  Weston,  far  up  the  Missouri  river.  The  desolating 
effects  of  the  spring  and  summer  freshet  were  constantly 
visible,  and  produced  painful  impressions  on  every  reflect- 
ing mind.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  elevated  points, 
the  table-lands  adjoining  the  river  had  been  deluged  from 
hill  to  hill,  by  a  sweeping  current,  the  main  body  of  which 
appears  to  have  come  out  of  the  Kansas,  as  the  Missouri 
above  that  was  not  so  much  swollen.  Most  of  the  fencing 
and  many  of  the  farm-houses  were  entirely  destroyed; 
and,  instead  of  the  expected  crop  being  realized,  the  rich 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  347 

soil  was  washed  away,  or  left  covered  with  a  layer  of  sand 
from  twelve  inches  to  two  feet  deep.  The  amount  of  prop- 
erty lost  is  incalculable.  A  few  persons  were  endeavoring 
to  repair  their  premises,  but  most  of  the  proprietors  ap- 
peared to  have  abandoned  them  in  despair.  One  conse- 
quence which  followed  was,  much  sickness  in  the  country 
adjacent;  and  the  Wyandott  Indians,  who  reside  at  present 
on  the  township  of  land  immediately  in  the  fork  of  the 
Missouri  and  Kansas  rivers,  where  the  overflow  was  deep, 
were  perhaps  among  the  greatest  sufferers. 

The  Missouri  river,  at  the  time  we  ascended,  formed  a 
very  striking  contrast  with  what  it  had  recently  been.  On 
several  bars,  the  men  who  flung  the  lead-lines  reported, 
"three  feet  scant"  on  both  sides  of  the  boat;  still  the 
water  was  turbid,  and,  in  appearance,  resembled  boiling 
soap ;  and  the  vast  numbers  of  snags  and  sawyers  with 
which  the  river  abounds,  increased  the  difficulty  of  navi- 
gating it.  However,  after  the  usual  amount  of  sounding, 
grounding,  floundering,  sparring,  backing  off,  and  going 
ahead,  our  vigilant  and  persevering  commander  and  crew 
brought  us  safely  to  the  landing,  one  mile  below  the  mouth 
of  the  Kansas,  and  four  hundred  miles  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Missouri,  on  the  10th,  between  sundown  and  dark. 
Here  I  came  ashore  alone,  in  a  strange  land :  the  ten  or 
twelve  preachers  who  embarked  with  me  at  St.  Louis, 
having  left  at  different  points  for  their  new  circuits.  It 
was  not  very  cheering  to  reflect  that  I  was  far  from  my 
family  and  friends,  on  the  border  of  the  Indian  country, 
where  I  knew  no  individual,  without  porter  or  guide,  with 
the  sable  shades  of  night  falling  upon  me,  and  my  lodging- 
yet  to  hunt ;  but  knowing  that  my  business  was  not  only 
lawful,  but  benevolent,  and  believing  that  I  was  in  the 
path  of  duty,  I  was  not  afraid  to  trust  my  heavenly  Father 
for  all  I  needed.  Shouldering  my  baggage,  which  con- 
sisted of  a  heavy  carpet-bag,  cloak,  umbrella,  and  a  small 


"4S  MISCELLANY. 

bundle,  I  ascended  the  steep  hill,  between  the  base  of  which 
and  the  river  there  was  scarcely  room  for  a  warehouse 
and  a  few  other  small  buildings ;  and  after  resting  several 
times  by  the  way,  much  heated,  and  nearly  out  of  breath, 
I  reached  a  new  cabin  on  the  summit,  occupied  by  Col- 
onel Chick,  who,  having  been  "washed  out"  by  the  late 
freshet,  removed  far  above  hio-h-water  mark.  The  Col- 
onel  was  very  sick  with  chills  and  fever,  and  several  mem- 
bers of  his  family  were  but  just  recovering  from  the  same 
disease;  yet,  I  was  very  cordially  received  by  him  and 
his  interesting  family,  and  treated  like  a  Christian  brother. 
Next  morning  Colonel  Chick  kindly  sent  me  on  horseback 
seven  miles,  to  the  Indian  Manual  Labor  School,  in  the 
Shawnee  nation,  where  I  had  appointed  to  meet  a  party 
of  missionaries,  to  proceed  on  together  through  the  Indian 
country  to  the  conference.  The  land  from  the  Missouri 
river  to  the  Mission  is  well  timbered,  and  is  as  fertile  and 
beautiful  as  can  well  be  conceived  of;  but  the  Mission 
Farm  itself  is  partly  in  the  prairie.  The  school  is  pat- 
ronized by  several  neighboring  tribes;  but  the  largest 
number  of  scholars  are  children  of  Shawnees  and  Dela- 
wares,  who,  being  thrown  together,  ignorant  of  each  other's 
language,  more  readily  adopt  English  as  the  ordinary  me- 
dium of  communication.  Since  the  establishment  of  this 
great  central  school,  the  small  schools  previously  con- 
nected with  each  tribe  have  been  discontinued,  though 
their  respective  missionaries  continue  in  the  regular  mis- 
sionary work  of  preaching  and  visiting,  which  contributes 
much  toward  keeping  the  central  school  well  filled  with 
children.  The  students  vary  in  age  from  ten  or  twelve  to 
twenty  years,  and  in  number  from  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  I  was  in  time  to  witness  part  of  the 
examination  exercises  at  the  close  of  the  regular  term, 
and  to  address  a  few  words  of  approval  and  encourage- 
ment to  them.     Their  performance  in  spelling,  reading, 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  319 

arithmetic,  geography,  composition,  autography,  and  vocal 
music,  was  such  as  would  do  credit  to  any  of  our  city 
schools  in  the  United  States.  Children,  who  one  year 
previous  knew  nothing  of  letters  or  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, read  the  New  Testament  well.  Besides  obtaining 
a  knowledge  of  literature  and  science,  the  boys  are  learned 
practically  the  business  of  agriculture ;  and  some  of  them 
the  more  useful  mechanical  arts;  while  the  girls  are 
taught  to  knit,  spin,  weave,  cut  and  make  garments,  and 
the  important  business  of  housekeeping,  which,  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying,  is  a  better  course  of  education  for  all 
practical  purposes  of  life,  than  is  observed  in  most  of  our 
collegiate  institutes.  But  the  best  of  all  is  the  religious 
influence  brought  to  bear  on  the  children  by  the  daily 
reading  of  the  Scriptures,  morning  and  evening  worship, 
the  Sabbath  school,  and  regular  Sabbath  preaching.  Some 
of  the  boys  hold  prayer  meetings  in  the  woods  by  them- 
selves ;  while  the  girls  have  prayer  meetings  in  their  own 
chambers,  and  often  get  unspeakably  happy. 

The  improvements  on  the  premises  are  quite  respectable. 
Besides  some  comfortable  frame  buildings,  there  are  two 
large,  substantial  brick  buildings,  one  on  either  side  of  the 
spring.  The  boys  and  their  teachers  live  in  one  of  these 
houses,  and  the  girls  and  their  teachers  and  governesses 
in  the  other.  The  outbuildings,  barn,  etc.,  are  comfortable 
and  convenient.  The  Mission  Farm,  too,  is  extensive  and 
productive.  The  whole  number  of  acres  inclosed  with 
strong  fencing,  is  five  hundred,  of  which  three  hundred 
are  well  cultivated,  and  the  balance  in  grass  and  pasture. 
It  is  well  stocked  with  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs,  and 
poultry ;  and  among  the  stock  are  three  native  buffalos, 
which  were  captured  when  young,  and  subsequently  pur- 
chased for  the  Mission.  Two  of  them  are  perhaps  two 
years  old,  and  the  other  a  calf  six  or  seven  months  old. 
The  mode  of  capturing  these  animals  is  very  simple.     A 

30 


350  MISCELLANY. 

gentle  cow,  with  a  young  calf,  is  driven  into  the  buffalo 
range,  the  calf  killed,  and  its  place  supplied  with  a  young 
buffalo  calf,  which  she  adopts,  and  it  follows  her  home. 
By  the  way,  those  three  woolly  captives  on  the  Mission 
Farm,  are  missionary  stock ;  and  I  am  authorized  to  say, 
if  any  friend  of  missions  would  like  to  give  the  Missionary 
►Society  a  handsome  sum,  say  three  hundred  dollars,  and 
take  them,  he  can  be  accommodated.  There  is  also  con- 
nected with  the  Indian  Manual  Labor  School,  a  steam 
flouring  mill,  capable  of  grinding  three  hundred  bushels 
of  wheat  a  day,  and  does  good  work,  which  cost  the  So- 
ciety four  thousand  dollars,  with  four  years  to  pay  it  in, 
the  net  profit  of  which,  the  past  year,  amounted  to  more 
than  one  thousand,  eight  hundred  dollars ;  at  which  rate 
it  will  soon  pay  for  itself,  and  become  very  productive 
stock.  At  the  earnest  request  of  some  of  the  Indians  in 
their  official  council,  the  superintendent  is  about  adding 
machinery  to  saw  lumber — they  engaging  to  furnish  the 
lumber  at  the  mill  for  half  of  the  sawed  lumber — which,  it 
is  supposed,  will  increase  the  profits  of  the  mill.  This 
establishment,  while  the  improvements  were  in  progress, 
received  from  the  Government  four  or  five  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  from  the  Missionary  Society  ten  thousand  dollars 
a  year;  but  now,  with  five  thousand  dollars  from  the 
Society,  and  nothing  from  the  Government,  it  gets  along 
comfortably ;  and  it  is  probable  the  sum  may  be  gradually 
reduced  till  it  can  support  itself,  though  the  expense  of 
feeding,  lodging,  clothing,  and  educating  one  hundred  and 
fifty  students,  must  necessarily  be  considerable. 

After  the  interesting  spiritual  exercises  of  the  Sabbath, 
we  left  on  Monday,  the  14th,  for  conference.  While  some 
brethren  on  horseback  steered  through  the  border  settle- 
ments of  Missouri,  four  of  us,  in  two  buggies,  took  the 
military  road  through  the  territory,  which  was  once  a  com- 
fortable road  for  a  new  country;  but  the  bridges  were 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  351 

mostly  destroyed  by  the  freshets,  and  the  sloughs  were 
extremely  boggy,  which  rendered  the  traveling  difficult. 
Our  company  consisted  at  first  of  Rev.  L.  B.  Stateler, 
missionary  to  the  Shawnees,  Rev.  Thomas  Ilurlbut,  late 
of  the  Canada  conference,  and  missionary  among  the  Chip- 
pewas,  Rev.  E.  T.  Peery,  superintendent  of  the  Indian 
Manual  Labor  School,  and  mvself.  We  c;ot  a  late  start 
the  first  day,  and  after  proceeding  about  twenty-five  miles, 
took  lodging  at  the  Hickory  Camp,  near  a  small  branch. 
Our  tent  was  made  of  domestic  cotton,  circular,  after  the 
form  of  the  habitations  of  Northern  Indians,  supported 
by  one  center  pole,  and  the  base  extended  by  cords  and 
pegs,  with  an  opening  fronting  the  fire.  It  shed  rain  well, 
and  afforded  some  shelter  from  the  wind.  We  had  two 
buffalo-skins  for  beds,  a  blanket  each  for  covering,  carriage 
cushions  for  pillows,  and  passed  the  night  in  safety.  The 
next  day,  having  journeyed  about  thirty-eight  miles,  we 
camped  on  the  south  bank  of  Mary  de  Zine,  in  a  quiet 
and  pleasant  place,  sheltered  by  the  tall  trees,  with  but 
little  to  break  the  stillness  of  night,  except  the  tingle 
of  the  horse-bell,  and  an  occasional  report  from  a  neigh- 
boring camp  of  Potawattomie  Indians,  who  were  sojourn- 
ing there,  probably  for  the  benefit  of  the  fall  range.  Next 
morning,  while  brother  Hurlbut  was  making  our  coffee, 
and  the  other  brethren  were  hunting  the  horses,  which 
had  lost  their  hopples  and  wandered  out  of  hearing,  I 
went  to  the  Indian  camp  to  inquire  if  they  had  seen  any 
horses.  It  was  a  double  camp,  containing  about  a  dozen 
individuals.  While  the  children  were  gamboling  about 
the  creek,  and  the  old  man  and  his  numerous  dogs  were 
lying  down  at  their  ease,  the  women  wore  busily  employed, 
some  preparing  breakfast,  and  the  others  making  flag  mat- 
tresses. I  was  favored  with  a  true  Indian  reception,  and 
having  accomplished  the  object  of  my  visit,  soon  retired. 
If  the  brethren,  accustomed  to  Indian  society,  should  feel 


352  MISCELLANY. 

disposed  to  laugh  at  this  unimportant  item,  I  have  only  to 
say,  it  is  not  written  for  their  benefit.     And  lest  I  be  over- 
much tedious,  I  will  relieve  your  readers  for  the  present. 
Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Missouri  Territory,  Oct.  16,  ISM. 

NUMBER  II. 
Brother  Elliott,  —  Having  recovered  our  horses  at 
Camp  Mary  de  Zine,  we  resumed  our  journey,  and,  at 
Osage  creek,  overtook  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Ruble,  missionary 
among  the  Potawattomie  Indians,  and  Washington,  son  of 
chief  Boashman.  Young  Boashman  was  educated  at  the 
Indian  Manual  Labor  School,  is  a  professor  of  Christianity, 
acts  as  interpreter,  and  it  is  thought  may  become  a  useful 
man,  if  faithful,  in  the  missionary  work.  Thus  reinforced, 
our  three  carriages  formed  a  little  procession,  and  we 
found  it  necessary  at  night  to  raise  two  camp  fires.  Early 
in  the  afternoon  we  were  caught  in  a  north-eastern  storm 
of  rain,  attended  with  such  wind  as  rendered  it  difficult  to 
hold  an  umbrella;  which,  in  an  open  buggy,  was  rather 
unpleasant.  However,  I  was  much  relieved  by  the  use  of 
a  Spanish  blanket,  with  a  hole  in  the  middle  to  let  my 
head  through,  so  as  to  screen  my  shoulders  and  knees. 
Late  in  the  evening  we  reached  the  Mamita,  near  Fort 
Scott,  where  we  could  procure  fuel  and  water,  and  took 
our  quarters  for  the  night,  chilled  and  wearied  with  the 
cold  journey.  The  storm  beat  all  night  upon  our  frail 
habitation,  and  occasionally  whirled  the  smoke  and  ashes 
into  it.  This  was  not  the  worst  trouble :  two  of  the  horses 
gave  us  the  slip,  and  detained  us  next  morning  about 
three  hours  searching  for  them ;  a  difficulty  against  which 
we  subsequently  guarded.  Thursday  morning  we  called 
at  the  fort,  and  procured  horse-provender  for  the  next 
night,  being  the  last  opportunity  for  the  next  fifty  miles. 
There  were  at  the  fort  three  companies,  one  of  dragoons 


NOTES      OF     TliAVEL.  353 

and  two  of  infantry,  though  they  appeared  to  have  but 
little  to  do,  as  we  saw  some  of  them  miles  beyond,  sport- 
ing with  greyhounds.  This  day  the  wind,  crossing  the 
prairies,  was  quite  chilly.  When  we  reached  the  last  skirt 
of  timber  on  the  Dry  wood  Fork,  though  early  in  the  after- 
noon, it  was  too  late  to  encounter  the  Big  Prairie,  twenty- 
three  miles  across  ;  and  we  concluded  to  wait  till  morning, 
shave  our  beards,  readjust  our  equipage,  and  take  a  fresh 
start.  We  had  replenished  our  store  of  provision  with 
some  beef,  sweet  potatos,  and  a  chicken,  and  having  full 
time  to  broil,  roast,  and  eat,  we  fared  well  that  night.  In 
the  evening  we  were  warned,  by  the  northern  lights,  of  a 
coming  storm.  About  three  o'clock  next  morning,  the 
sleet  and  hail  commenced  falling,  which  soon  turned  to  a 
regular  snow-storm;  and  when  we  left  our  camp,  at  day- 
light, the  snow  was  about  two  inches  deep,  and  still 
coming  down  on  us.  This  was  the  only  day  of  real  suf- 
fering we  experienced  on  the  journey  through  the  territory. 
We  started  with  wet  boots,  exposed  to  a  severe  north-west 
wind,  and  soon  became  chilled,  while  the  snow  prevented 
our  warming  by  running  on  foot,  as  we  had  done  the  day 
before.  On  reaching  the  Cow  Fork,  we  found  a  fire  ready 
for  us,  which  some  movers  had  just  left,  where  we  took 
our  luncheon ;  and  having  cleared  the  range  of  the  snow- 
storm, and  reached  dry  ground,  we  resumed  our  journey 
under  more  favorable  circumstances.  Still  it  was  very 
cold.  When  we  arrived  at  Spring  river,  where  we  ended 
our  day's  journey  of  thirty-eight  miles,  the  bottom  was 
so  crowded  with  the  camps,  teams,  and  stock  of  emigrants 
to  Texas,  that  we  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  a  suitable 
place  to  pitch  our  tents.  As  for  myself,  I  was  so  affected 
by  the  cold,  that  I  could  not  hold  a  limb  of  me  still ;  but 
the  work  of  preparation  for  night,  a  good  log  fire,  and  a 
supper  of  broiled  jerk  and  hot  tea,  made  of  spice-wood 
nrush,  relieved  all  the  difficulty,  and  we  slept  soundly 
30* 


354:  MISCELLANY. 

Saturday,  19th,  we  passed  through  the  Quapaw  lands, 
a  small  principality  about  eight  by  twenty-four  miles  in 
extent,  in  which  we  have  a  mission  and  mission-school  in 
a  tolerably  prosperous  condition.  We  also  passed  the  Lit- 
tle Shawnee  village,  occupied  by  a  small  band  of  Shaw- 
nees  detached  from  the  main  body  of  the  nation.  On 
the  way  we  overtook  several  companies  of  Indian  women 
mounted  on  ponies,  well  packed  with  bags  of  corn,  going 
to  mill,  which,  though  not  fashionable  employment  among 
white  ladies,  is  far  preferable  to  the  old  style  of  pounding 
corn  with  a  pestle.  In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  Mrs. 
Adams's  in  the  Seneca  nation,  by  whom  we  were  kindly 
received.  We  rested  over  Sabbath  in  her  house.  Sister 
Adams  is  of  the  band  of  Stockbridges,  and  her  husband, 
Rev.  Daniel  Adams,  was  a  Mohawk.  He  was  our  mission- 
ary among  the  Senecas,  an  excellent  man,  and  died  at  his 
post  during  the  past  year.  His  widow  is  a  well-educated, 
intelligent,  and  pious  woman,  and,  for  her  opportunity, 
keeps  a  comfortable  house  of  entertainment.  Our  relig- 
ious services  in  her  house,  on  Sabbath,  were,  to  me,  at 
least,  peculiarly  interesting.  The  congregation  contained 
about  sixty  persons  only,  yet  among  them  were  seen  Sen- 
ecas, Stockbridges,  Shawnees,  Cherokees,  Africans,  Cana- 
dians,  and  citizens  from  several  of  the  United  States ;  and 
during  the  exercises  of  preaching,  prayer,  and  praise,  all 
appeared  to  be  " baptized  into  one  Spirit;"  while  tears  of 
joy,  and  half-suppressed  exclamations  of  triumph,  told 
the  deep  feeling  of  many  hearts.  It  was  here  the  Rev 
N.  M.  Talbott,  missionary  among  the  Kickapoos  north  of 
the  Kansas,  joined  our  traveling  party,  and  continued 
with  us  to  conference. 

Monday,  21st,  we  resumed  our  journey,  and  soon 
passed  the  Seneca  Mills ;  but,  for  want  of  water,  all  was 
still.  In  the  afternoon  we  went  through  Baetie's  Prairie, 
one  of  the  best  settlements  in  the  Cherokee  nation ;  and 


NOTES    OF    TRAVEL.  355 

in  the  evening  camped  at  Spavanaugh,  a  beautiful  stream 
of  clear  water.  About  dark,  while  eating  our  supper,  an 
Indian,  on  whose  heart  the  light  of  the  Gospel  had  prob- 
ably never  dawned,  came  to  us  in  a  bad  humor,  and 
though  he  could  not  clearly  express  his  meaning  in  words 
that  we  understood,  his  countenance  looked  terrible ;  and 
by  violent  gestures,  and  an  occasional  word  of  broken 
English,  we  at  last  learned  that  he  was  offended  at  us  for 
cutting  and  burning  his  wood.  We,  however,  soon  hit 
upon  a  successful  mode  of  compromise :  with  two  crackers 
and  two  dimes,  we  effected  a  satisfactory  treaty  of  peace, 
which  relieved  the  whole  difficulty. 

Tuesday,  22d,  after  traveling  thirty-five  miles,  late  in 
the  evening,  we  reached  Tahlequah,  the  capital  of  the 
Cherokee  nation,  commonly  called  the  Council  Ground. 
It  is  a  little  city,  but  full  up  to  our  expectation.  The 
most  important  building  is  a  new  brick  court-house. 
There  is,  in  the  midst  of  the  village,  a  stand,  with  tempo- 
rary seats  arranged  for  public  assemblies,  and  covered 
with  an  arbor,  serving  as  a  kind  of  forum  for  political 
orators,  and  perhaps  for  a  place  of  religious  worship. 
The  National  Council  was  in  session.  It  consists,  I  under- 
stand, of  a  lower  house,  or  popular  branch,  of  twenty-four 
members,  and  a  senate,  or  upper  house,  of  sixteen  mem- 
bers, occupying  very  ordinary  buildings,  but  talking  of 
erecting  a  more  spacious  capitol.  It  was  said  they  were 
rather  retarded  in  the  business  of  the  Council  by  the 
absence  of  the  Hon.  John  Ross,  head  chief  of  the  nation, 
who  was,  however,  expected  daily.  The  Supreme  Court 
was  also  in  session.  From  all  I  could  learn,  there  is  a 
strong  feeling  in  the  nation  in  favor  of  law,  and  a  determ- 
ination to  enforce  it.  The  Cherokees  are  progressing  in 
education,  civilization,  and  Christianity,  all  of  which  are 
forwarded  by  means  of  the  press  among  them ;  and  they 
might  do  very  well  in  their  new  country,  if  they  could 


356  MISCELLANY. 

permanently  settle  some  internal  difficulties  that  have  long 
embarrassed  them.  In  their  political  and  social  relations 
it  is  said  that  party  feelings  and  party  measures  are 
strong;  very  much  like  those  among  their  white  neigh- 
bors of  the  United  States.  At  Tahlequah  we  learned 
that  the  conference  was  to  meet  in  Riley's  Chapel,  two 
miles  distant,  and  that  "headquarters,"  from  which  we 
were  to  be  distributed  to  our  respective  lodgings,  were 
near  the  chapel,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Thomas  Bertholf. 
Fortunately  for  us,  my  "cabinet"  and  self  were  all  bil- 
leted to  the  house  of  George  M.  Murrell,  Esq.,  at  Park 
Hill,  one  of  the  finest  neighborhoods  in  the  nation.  "We 
were  only  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  chapel,  with  the 
privilege  of  riding  to  and  from,  and  had  as  comfortable  a 
home  as  could  be  desired  in  any  country. 

Here  I  close  this  number,  with  one  or  two  general 
remarks.  The  distance  from  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas  to 
Tahlequah  is  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  miles  by  the 
military  road,  and  about  seven-eighths  of  the  way  are 
dreary  barrens,  or  prairie,  mostly  of  inferior  quality, 
being  arms  or  skirts  of  the  almost  boundless  plains  of 
sand,  stretching  toward  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which  afford 
neither  timber,  water,  nor  soil  sufficient  to  sustain  any  con- 
siderable population,  and  will,  therefore,  never  be  inhab- 
ited to  any  great  extent.  Even  on  the  east  border  of  this 
vast  territory  there  is  comparatively  little  to  engage  the 
eye,  the  ear,  or  the  mind  of  the  enterprising  pioneer. 
One  fox,  one  gray  squirrel,  and  a  few  ducks  and  geese, 
were  all  the  game  we  saw  on  a  journey  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles.  The  character  of  the  country  west  of  the 
civilized  Indians  is  greatly  in  their  favor,  as  no  consider- 
able settlements  are  likely  to  be  soon  formed  beyond  them. 
Yours,  respectfully,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Pabk  Hill,  Cherokee  Nation,  Oct.  22, 1844. 


N  OTJ&S      O  F     T  K  A  V  E  L  .  357 

NUHBJBB  III. 

Brother  Elliott,  —  The  Indian  Mission  conference 
commenced  its  first  session  at  Riley's  Chapel,  near  Tahle- 
quah,  in  the  Cherokee  nation,  on  Wednesday,  October  23, 
1844.  The  name  of  the  house  is  intended,  I  learn,  to 
perpetuate  the  precious  memory  of  the  first  Cherokee 
converted  to  Christianity.  It  is  a  respectable  frame  build- 
ing for  a  frontier  country.  There  are  in  this  conference 
seventeen  elders,  all  of  whom  were  present  but  one,  six 
deacons,  and  four  licentiates :  total,  twenty-seven  ;  and  all 
tried  men  in  the  Indian  work.  About  one-fourth  of  them 
are  native  preachers.  There  are  also  several  natives  not 
yet  admitted  into  the  conference,  who  act  as  helpers  and 
interpreters  on  the  circuits.  The  conference,  as  a  whole, 
will  compare  well  with  other  conferences  as  to  ministerial 
qualification,  in  proportion  to  their  numbers.  This  little 
band  of  missionaries  live  and  labor  together  in  the  bonds 
of  Christian  affection.  All  their  work  is  missionary ;  and, 
consequently,  there  is  no  scrambling  for  popular  appoint- 
ments, or  city  stations.  After  arranging  the  work  for  the 
ensuing  year,  we  stationed  the  whole  conference  in  less 
than  two  hours,  and  had  no  occasion  afterward  to  change  a 
single  appointment,  nor  did  any  one  complain  that  his  lot 
was  hard.  The  religious  exercises  at  the  opening  of  each 
day's  session  were  conducted  in  English,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  session,  in  Choctaw  or  Cherokee.  We  reached  the 
point  of  final  adjournment  on  Saturday  afternoon ;  all  the 
business  having  been  fully  considered  and  done  up,  except 
to  ordain  the  preachers,  which  was  done  on  the  Sabbath. 
Two  of  those  ordained  were  full-blooded  Choctaws;  and 
one  of  them,  being  a  good  English  scholar,  interpreted  the 
questions  to  the  other  in  presence  of  the  congregation. 

As  this  was  the  commencement  of  a  new  state  of  things 
in  the  Indian  missionary  work,  the  conference  thought  it 


358  MISCELLANY. 

best  to  take  decisive  measures  at  once,  being*  determined 
not  to  encourage  or  countenance  any  mere  hangers-on,  or 
inefficient  men,  who  might  desire,  under  the  name  of  trav- 
eling preachers,  to  be  employed  as  teachers  of  neighbor- 
hood or  Government  schools,  not  under  the  control  of  the 
conference.  And  though  they  gave  a  supernumerary 
relation  to  one  brother  in  feeble  health,  it  was  without 
claim  on  the  missionary  funds.  Any  brethren  who  may 
wish  to  become  identified  with  the  Indian  Mission  con- 
ference must  calculate  to  go  in  for  the  work,  the  whole 
work,  and  nothing  but  the  work,  or  to  be  furnished  with 
"walking  papers"  in  short  order.  So  it  should  be  in 
every  conference.  And  the  fear  expressed  by  some  that 
the  missionaries,  when  once  the  power  was  put  into  their 
own  hands,  would  make  a  prodigal  use  of  the  missionary 
funds,  is  perfectly  groundless.  On  the  contrary,  the  mission 
committee  of  five  leading  men,  whose  report  of  estimates 
was  cordially  approved  by  the  conference,  and  concurred 
in  by  myself,  manifested  a  scrupulous  regard  to  economy. 
The  whole  amount  appropriated  for  all  the  conference  this 
year  is,  fourteen  thousand,  four  hundred  and  ninety  dol- 
lars, and  thirty -two  cents.  And  this,  let  it  be  observed, 
is  not  only  to  support  the  twenty-seven  missionaries  and 
their  families — for  most  of  them  have  families,  and  all 
of  them  should  have — but  also  their  helpers,  interpreters, 
teachers ;  to  pay  for  necessary  improvements,  and  feed, 
clothe,  lodge,  and  educate  the  children  in  the  mission 
schools.  Three  of  these  schools,  alone,  required  seven 
thousand  dollars;  nearly  half  of  the  whole  amount.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  appropriation  for  the  Indian 
work,  this  year,  is  less  than  it  usually  was  when  connected 
with  the  other  conferences.  And  yet  much  fear  is  enter- 
tained, that  in  the  present  excited  state  of  the  Church,  the 
means  may  not  come  into  the  hands  of  the  Assistant 
Treasurer  to  take  up  the  drafts  without  difficulty.    Still  we 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  359 

hope  better  things,  though  we  thus  speak,  The  confer- 
ence organized  itself  into  a  Conference  Missionary  Society, 
auxiliary  to  the  Parent  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  reported  two  hundred  and  seventeen  dollars, 
and  some  cents,  obtained  during  the  year,  and  at  the  first 
meeting.  They  will  more  than  double  this  sum  next 
year,  I  presume. 

Now,  if  any  one  doubts  the  propriety  of  expending  so 
much  money  on  the  Indians,  to  effect  their  conversion 
from  heathenism  and  sin  to  civilization  and  Christianity, 
let  him  visit  the  work,  make  observation  for  himself,  and 
his  doubts  will  be  removed.  If  he  can  not  do  this,  we 
refer  him  to  the  official  minutes  of  the  Indian  Mission 
conference,  where  he  will  see  that,  beside  a  few  white 
and  some  hundreds  of  colored  members — for  some  of  the 
Indians  are  extensive  slaveholders,  and  are  likely  to 
become  liberal  supporters  of  the  missionary  cause — we 
have  nearly  three  thousand  Indian  Church  members. 
Moreover,  we  have  very  many  of  the  children  in  a  course 
of  training  in  day  schools  and  Sabbath  schools.  But  while 
much  has  been  done,  much  remains  to  be  done.  Thou- 
sands are  yet  heathen  sinners,  and  perishing  for  the  bread 
of  life.  We  owe  them  much,  as  an  injured  people.  The 
land  is  before  us.  Great  and  effectual  doors  are  open 
unto  us;  and  there  are  many  adversaries.  Some  of  these 
doors  may  be  shut,  or  entered  by  others,  while  we  delay 
operations.  The  far-famed  Nannawarrior  fund  has  slipped 
out  of  our  hands.  By  official  action  of  the  Choctaw 
Council,  it  has  been  diverted  to  other  channels,  not  under 
our  control.  And  from  the  best  information  we  can 
obtain,  this  movement  was  intended  by  the  leading  men 
before  they  requested  us  to  postpone  our  operation  in  the 
premises  last  spring.  After  all,  it  is  questionable  whether 
we  shall  have  lost  much  in  the  end,  as  Jhere  is  some  pros- 
pect of  other  and  more  inviting  fields  of  labor.     In  such 


360  MISCELLANY. 

an  enterprise  as  that  of  converting  the  heathen,  there  will 
always  be  difficulties  and  discouragements,  beyond  what 
may  be  reasonably  expected  in  our  ordinary  circuit  work 
among  our  own  countrymen;  and  these  difficulties  have 
been  increased  by  the  system  of  connecting  the  Indian 
missions  with  ordinary  work  in  the  conferences,  which  has 
led  to  frequent  changes  both  of  men  and  measures.  We 
trust,  however,. the  difficulties  will  be  relieved,  in  part,  by 
the  organization  of  the  Indian  Mission  conference,  which 
will  certainly  afford  those  having  the  management  of  the 
missions  more  time  and  better  means  of  information,  in 
arranging  and  carrying  out  their  plans  of  usefulness. 
Another  thing  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  work  was 
ordered  by  the  late  General  conference;  namely,  the 
appointment  of  a  superintendent  to  reside  in  the  Indian 
country,  overlook  all  the  missionary  interests,  and  act  as 
an  agent  for  the  Church  to  negotiate  with  Indian  councils 
and  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  in  regard  to 
Indian  education  funds,  etc.,  as  occasion  requires.  As  the 
bishops  were  charged  with  the  responsibility  of  making 
such  appointments,  both  for  the  slave  missions  in  the 
south  and  Indian  missions  in  the  south-west,  they  met 
in  New  York  the  day  after  General  conference  adjourned, 
and  appointed  Rev.  William  Capers  to  the  former,  and 
Rev.  Jerome  C.  Berryman  to  the  latter.  (This  is  my 
answer  to  a  communication,  signed  by  some  twenty-five 
or  thirty  worthy  ministers  of  the  Ohio  conference,  on  the 
subject,  received  last  September.)  Brother  Berryman  had 
long  been  identified  with  the  Indian  missions,  and  was 
already  a  citizen  of  the  Missouri  territory,  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Mission  conference,  which  gave  him  some 
advantage  in  his  new  office.  He  entered  upon  his  work 
immediately,  and  before  the  conference  met  had  been  to 
nearly  every  mission  in  its  bounds.  Those  who  know 
him  best,  think  he  is  the  right  sort  of  a  man  for  the 


NOTES      OF     TSA  V  E  L .  3fil 

work;  and  I  trust  he  will  make  full  and  satisfactory  proof 
of  his  ministry. 

Upon  the  whole,  dear  brother,  I  am  much  pleased  with 
my  visit  to  the  Indian  Mission  conference  ;  and  it  would  be 
ungrateful  in  me  not  to  acknowledge  the  kindness  which 
I  have  constantly  received.  I  was  not  only  conveyed  by 
the  brethren  to  conference,  as  I  have  elsewhere  explained, 
gratuitously,  but  was  subsequently  sent  by  the  hospitable 
family,  who  had  the  trouble  of  entertaining  me,  in  a  fine, 
close  carriage,  with  handsome  match  horses,  driver  and 
escort,  nearly  forty  miles,  to  this  neighborhood,  where  I 
can  obtain  a  stao-e  to  Van  Buren,  and  thence  to  Little 
Rock.  Such  kindness  I  shall  never  forget  nor  cease  to 
acknowledge  with  gratitude. 

Yours,  respectfully,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Cummingsvtixe,  Abkansas,  Nov.  1,  1844. 


TRIP   NORTH-WEST,  1848. 

In  this  article  no  report  of  official  duties  will  be  inflicted 
upon  the  reader,  nor  any  thing  but  a  few  notes  of  travel, 
with  such  observations  and  reflections  as  may  be  deemed 
appropriate. 

Our  last  day  of  sojourn  in  the  Queen  City,  June  27, 
1848,  was  memorable  on  account  of  heat.  While  the 
mercury  rose  to  ninety-five  in  the  shade,  and  the  south- 
west wind  drove  clouds  of  dust,  not  only  through  the 
streets,  but  into  our  sitting-room  and  bed-chamber,  we 
longed  to  be  off,  that  we  might  gain  a  more  elevated  posi- 
tion, and  inhale  a  purer  air.  How  opportune  were  the 
gentle  showers  of  rain  that  night,  which  brought  relief  at 
once  from  heat  and  dust,  and  were  succeeded  by  a  calm, 
refreshing  morning!  At  eight  o'clock,  A.  M.,  our  train 
cleared  the  narrows  of  Fulton  with  its  world  of  lumber 
31 


oG2  MISCELLANY. 

and  clattering  machinery.  Even  there  the  eye  found 
relief  by  resting  upon  the  placid  Ohio  on  the  right,  and 
the  hights  beyond  it,  dotted  with  objects  of  rural  beauty. 
A  few  minutes  more  and  we  were  gliding  amidst  the 
shadows  of  lofty  forest  trees,  along  the  fertile  vale  of  the 
Little  Miami,  enlivened  by  birds  of  various  notes  and 
flowers  of  every  hue.  How  delightful  the  change !  The 
stillness  of  the  country  contrasts  pleasantly  with  the  bustle 
of  a  crowded  city.  Riding  in  an  elegant  car,  even  at  the 
moderate  speed  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour,  is  quite  as  agree- 
able as  spinning  street  yarn  on  foot  over  burning  hot  brick 
and  stone,  employing  one  hand  in  supporting  a  silken 
shade  overhead,  and  the  other  in  relieving  the  eyes  from 
dust  and  perspiration. 

We  could  not  have  selected  a  more  pleasant  time  for 
our  flight  across  the  state  of  Ohio :  the  growing  fields  of 
Indian  corn  were  spread  out  before  us  in  richest  verdure ; 
the  fields  of  golden  wheat,  some  waving  in  the  gentle 
breeze,  some  falling  before  the  sweeping  cradle,  and  others 
arranged  in  clustering  shocks,  all  indicating  the  greatest 
abundance,  presented  a  cheerful  appearance  to  the  passing 
traveler.  Farm-houses,  factories,  and  fresh-looking  vil- 
lages, were  passed  in  quick  succession,  till  we  halted  for 
dinner  at  Springfield,  eighty-five  miles  from  the  city. 
From  this  to  Urbana,  fourteen  miles,  the  railroad  was  not 
quite  completed,  but  in  rapid  progress.  Stages  were 
ready  to  convey  the  passengers  and  their  baggage.  The 
usual  practice  appeared  to  prevail,  of  filling  the  coaches 
outside  and  in  with  large  passengers,  and  then  putting  in 
the  children  and  sachels  for  chinking,  to  keep  all  steady. 
To  avoid  this  inconvenience,  we  chartered  a  hack,  which 
afforded  ample  room.  As  stage  after  stage  came  up,  and 
received  its  well -packed  load,  our  trunks  still  remaining 
on  the  side-walk,  some  guessed  that  we  were  at  our  jour- 
ney's end.     Last  of  all  came  our  hack,  nimble  ponies  and 


NOTES     U  V     T  E  A  V  E  L .  6bd 

jolly  driver,  and  moved  us  off  nicely.  As  we  passed  the 
rear  Btage,  reeling  and  screaking-  under  its  ponderous  load, 
our  fellow-passengers  seemed,  by  their  looks  and  manner, 
to  say,  ''What  lucky  favorites  to  secure  all  that  comforta- 
ble room  to  themselves,  and  move  on  with  so  much  ease, 
leaving  us  to  inhale  the  dust !"  The  real  cause,  however, 
was  neither  good  luck  nor  favoritism,  but  the  extra  shil- 
lings. They  put  us  through  to  Urbana  in  an  hour  and 
three-quarters,  where  we  slept  comfortably  in  the  house 
of  our  much-respected  friend,  Judge  Reynolds,  while  the 
crowd  passed  on  in  the  night  train. 

Next  day  we  took  the  morning  line,  affording  us,  among 
other  pleasures,  a  full  view  of  the  wild  meadows,  or  savan- 
nas, of  Champaign  county,  interspersed  with  lucid  streams 
and  fragrant  flowers,  and  swarming  with  horned  cattle, 
colts,  and  lambs,  contentedly  cropping  the  luxuriant  herb- 
age. Another  object  of  interest  that  day  was  the  Wyan- 
dott  Reservation.  The  dust  of  their  fathers  and  noble 
chiefs  slept  there,  but  the  remnants  of  their  broken  tribe 
were  beyond  the  Kansas.  What  was  recently  their  hunt- 
ing-ground, and  more  recently  a  mission  station,  is  now 
visibly  changing  into  cultivated  fields  and  flourishing  vil- 
lages. How  rapidly  the  aboriginals  of  America  are 
wasting  before  the  march  of  civilization !  Already  scat- 
tered and  peeled,  in  a  few  centuries  more  they  will  be 
numbered  among  the  nations  that  have  been  and  are 
not.  Surely,  as  Christians  and  patriots,  we  owe  them  a 
debt  of  kindness. 

As  we  neared  Lake  Erie  the  face  of  the  country  assumed 
more  beauty,  both  of  nature  and  culture.  On  reaching 
the  depot  at  Sandusky  City,  in  the  afternoon,  we  witnessed 
the  usual  amount  of  noise,  confusion,  and  clamor,  of  port- 
ers and  agents  for  baggage  and  passengers,  swearing  at 
and  pushing  each  other  with  violence,  and  each  affirming, 
with  a  zeal  worthy  of  a  better  cause,  that  he  represented 


364  MISCELLAN  Y  . 

the  best  hotel  in  the  city.  As  usual,  we  favored  those 
who  clamored  least,  went  to  the  Sandusky  Exchange,  and 
found  it  an  excellent  house.  After  taking  a  room,  it 
afforded  us  some  entertainment  to  sit  at  our  front  window, 
which  overlooks  the  bay  and  outlet  to  the  main  lake,  and 
view  the  sail  vessels  with  white  canvas  spread  to  the 
breeze,  and  the  steam  packets  arriving  and  departing, 
laden  with  surplus  produce,  and  crowded  with  passengers. 
These  Americans,  what  an  enterprising  and  migratory 
people !  If  true  to  their  civil  institutions,  they  must 
become  the  greatest  nation,  and  if  faithful  to  their  relig- 
ious privileges,  the  happiest  people  on  earth. 

The  line  from  Cincinnati  to  Sandusky  has  been  unfa- 
vorably represented,  probably  under  the  influence  of  canal 
and  stage-line  interests ;  but  it  is  unjust.  There  are  faster 
lines  than  it  is,  but  I  have  found  none  more  pleasant  in 
the  United  States;  nor  is  the  speed  even  now  to  be  com- 
plained of,  as  they  who  wish  to  do  so,  dine  in  Cincinnati, 
breakfast  next  morning  in  Sandusky,  and  proceed  on 
immediately  to  Buffalo  or  Detroit,  as  the  case  may  be. 
After  the  whole  line  shall  have  been  completed  and  put 
in  good  order,  the  passenger  cars  may  run  through  in 
eleven  hours,  distance  two  hundred  and  eighteen  miles. 

On  Friday  a  small  steamboat  brought  us  to  Detroit  in 
seven  hours.  The  scenery  on  the  Lake,  among  the  islands, 
and  along  the  Detroit  river,  was  imposing.  At  Maiden, 
on  the  Canada  shore,  we  landed  to  put  some  Indians  out. 
They  were  from  Missouri,  and  brought  with  them  two 
young  prairie  wolves,- coupled  together  in  leading-strings, 
which  attracted  as  much  attention  as  their  owners.  On 
reaching  Detroit  we  stopped  at  the  National  Hotel,  but 
the  Hon.  Ross  Wilkins  soon  called  for  us  with  a  carriage, 
and  removed  us,  bag  and  baggage,  to  his  own  quiet  home. 
He  is  the  Associate  Judge  of  the  United  States  Court  for 
the  state  of  Michigan,  and  a  local  minister  of  the  Methodist 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  365 

Episcopal  Church,  and  no  drone  in  either  office ;  for,  after 
sitting  all  the  week  constantly  on  the  bench  with  Judge 
M'Lean,  he  preached  twice  in  the  country  on  Sabbath,  and 
met  class,  felt  refreshed  in  spirit,  and  was  ready  to  resume 
court  business  on  Monday  morning.  The  Christian  sim- 
plicity and  hospitality  of  himself  and  lady  caused  us  to 
feel  perfectly  at  home,  and  as  happy  as  visiting  relatives. 
Their  home  is  one  of  those  delightful  green  spots  where 
weary  pilgrims  love  to  linger  and  rest.  The  Sabbath 
brought  us  abundant  privileges,  and  passed  off  pleasantly. 
Detroit  is  a  growing  and  business-like  city,  of  some  twenty 
thousand  inhabitants,  situated  on  the  American  side  of 
Detroit  river,  but  in  full  view  of  the  Queen's  dominion  in 
Upper  Canada.  The  city  is  supplied  with  pure  lake  water 
from  the  river,  and  is  considered  quite  a  healthy  place. 
From  this  point  travelers  west  can  choose  between  rail- 
road and  stage  across  the  peninsula  of  Michigan,  and  a 
voyage  round  the  lakes,  as  business  or  fancy  may  suggest. 

The  Fourth  of  July  was  celebrated  in  Detroit  with  the 
usual  amount  of  hilarity  and  folly.  Large  boys  fired  can- 
non, and  small  boys  fired  squibs ;  both  took  aim  at  noth- 
ing and  missed  the  world.  The  cold  east  rain-storm  that 
day  spoiled  much  of  the  sport  in  the  city,  and  the  blow 
upon  the  lake  defeated  the  parties  on  excursions  of  pleas- 
ure, not  in  paying  for  their  costly  dinner,  but  in  eating  it, 
the  seasickness  having  allayed  the  gnawing  pains  of  hun- 
ger before  it  was  ready.  As  for  ourselves,  we  remained 
in  doors  by  a  comfortable  fire,  reading  and  preparing  for 
our  voyage  on  the  lakes. 

After  waiting  the  arrival  of  our  boat  all  night,  in  a 
state  of  preparation  to  move  on  the  shortest  notice,  our 
coachman  called  for  us  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  hurried  us  on  board  of  the  Niagara,  just  in  from 
Buffalo,  and  bound  for  Chicago ;  but  they  soon  got  over 
their  hurry,  and  did  not  slip  cable  till  half-past  six.  That 
31* 


36G  M  I  SC  E  L  L  A  x  r  . 

day  we  Look  il  leisurely  through  Detroit  river,  the  Flats, 
Lake  St.  Clair,  and  St.  Clair  river,  stopping  two  hours  at 
one  place  for  wood,  and  as  long  at  another  for  coal,  pre- 
paratory to  the  long  runs  ahead.  Late  in  the  afternoon, 
however,  we  cleared  Gratiot,  and  bore  northward  on  the 
broad  bosom  of  Lake  Huron.  We  had  hoped  to  see  the 
sun  as  he  hid  himself  amid  the  waters,  but  a  heavy 
bank  of  clouds,  nearly  stationary  in  the  western  horkon, 
obscured  him,  and  changed  the  appearance  of  the  lake 
from  a  bright  sky  blue  to  that  of  a  somber  purple.  As 
night  fell  upon  us,  grave  thoughts  intruded  themselves — 
three  hundred  souls  aboard,  with  only  a  few  inches  of 
timber  between  them  and  a  sheet  of  water  two  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  long  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
broad,  with  the  ordinary  risk  of  collision,  explosion,  and 
fire.  The  visions  of  other  years  came  up,  and  among 
them  the  Euroclydon,  with  which  Paul  and  his  fellow- 
voyagers  had  to  contend  on  his  way  to  Rome,  as  a  pris- 
oner in  chains  for  the  faith  of  Christ.  In  that  storm  no 
sun,  moon,  or  stars  appeared  for  fourteen  days,  during 
which  time  they  labored,  prayed,  and  fasted,  till  Paul 
assured  them  there  should  be  no  loss  of  life,  but  only  of 
the  vessel  and  cargo,  for  which  he  gave  a  satisfactory 
reason:  "For  there  stood  by  me  this  night  the  angel  of 
God,  whose  I  am,  and  whom  I  serve,  saying,  Fear  not, 
Paul ;  thou  must  be  brought  before  Caesar :  and  lo,  God 
hath  given  thee  all  them  that  sail  with  thee."  What  a 
relief  in  their  extremity !  And  how  comfortable  our  con- 
dition in  comparison  of  their  perilous  one,  all  at  liberty, 
all  well,  on  board  of  a  noble  steamer,  well  manned  and 
provisioned,  walking  like  a  thing  of  life  on  the  smooth 
surface,  and  affording  all  the  luxuries  of  life !  Of  course 
we  had  much  to  comfort  and  but  little  to  render  us  dis- 
contented. 

The  voyage  of  the  lakes,  from  Buffalo  to  Chicago,  is 


.VOTES     OF    TRAVEL.  367 

OB6  thousand  and  seventy-five  miles.  Niagara  was  a  new 
boat  of  the  line,  on  her  sixth  trip,  and  perhaps  nearly 
equal  in  strength  and  speed  to  any  other,  and  free  from 
any  unpleasant  noise  or  motion,  so  that,  while  running 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  an  hour,  we  scarcely  heard 
her  engines,  or  felt  her  move.  Her  forward  keel  was 
ornamented  with  a  full-length  figure  of  an  Indian  chief, 
with  his  flowing  robe,  raven  locks,  jewelry,  and  cap  of 
feathers.  He  stood  erect,  with  lofty  bearing,  his  right 
foot  in  advance,  a  bow  in  his  left  hand,  and  a  quiver  pro- 
jecting behind  the  left  shoulder,  his  right  hand  firmly 
grasping  the  handle  of  a  scalping-knife,  with  the  point 
downward;  and  with  his  piercing  eye  fixed  on  some  dis- 
tant point,  he  seemed,  by  a  most  determined  air,  to  say, 
"  Follow  me."  The  man  at  the  wheel  wielded  a  strong 
and  steady  arm.  There  was  no  indication  of  storm,  and 
all  promised  well.  But  we  looked  beyond  all  these  visible 
means  of  safety,  and  committed  ourselves  for  safe-keeping 
to  Him  who  said  to  the  sea,  "Thus  far  shalt  thou  come, 
and  here  shalt  thy  proud  waves  be  staid." 

Our  boat  was  a  little  world  of  itself.  On  the  lower 
deck  were  crowds  of  foreigners,  with  their  piles  of  chests 
and  movables,  figuring  in  quaint  costume,  and  making 
their  first  observations  upon  America,  to  whom  every  thing 
appeared  to  be  novel,  but  not  unpleasant.  Their  children 
acted  like  young  birds  just  venturing  out  of  their  nest,  and 
gave  their  mothers  ample  employment  to  keep  them  out 
of  danger.  In  the  cabin  were  men  of  leisure  and  pleas- 
ure, with  their  families,  seeking  new  sources  of  enjoy- 
ment— men  of  business,  intent  on  its  accomplishment — in- 
valids traveling  for  health — peddlers  of  books  and  maps — 
tourists  exploring  new  states — ministers  and  agents  on 
ecclesiastical  business,  and  smoking,  loquacious  politi- 
cians— some  promenading  the  deck  in  solitude,  some 
clustered  together  in  social  chitchat,  others  attracted  by 


30S  MISCELLANY. 

the  sound  of  music  and  song.  Some  were  in  their  state- 
rooms, praying  and  reading  their  Bibles,  while  such  as 
wished  to  relieve  each  other  of  their  cash  by  games  of 
hazard,  went  aloft  to  the  hurricane  deck,  and  took  with 
them  the  "  History  of  the  Four  Kings."  But  after  the 
tea-table  was  removed,  the  headquarters  of  amusement 
appeared  to  be  in  the  ladies'  cabin,  where  many  assembled 
for  the  purpose  of  killing  time,  which  hung  heavily  upon 
them.  The  moving  agent  of  the  whole  operation  was  a 
son  of  Ham,  patting  his  foot,  and  drawing  a  horse-hair 
across  a  piece  of  cat-gut,  which  made  a  kind  of  screaking 
noise.  He  must  have  been  a  captain ;  for  so  soon  as  he 
commenced  tossing  his  head  about  and  moving  his  right 
arm  to  and  fro,  though  he  gave  no  other  signal  or  word 
of  command,  a  number  of  individuals  rose  to  their  feet, 
commenced  running  past  each  other,  and  facing  about, 
with  a  regular  step  to  the  sound  of  cuffy's  violin.  The 
characters  under  the  influence  of  his  enchantment  were 
diversified — boys  and  misses,  dandies  and  flirts,  men  and 
women;  but  one  who  witnessed  the  affair,  declared  that 
the  commander  of  our  boat  beat  them  all ;  that  he  was  the 
best  dancer  among  them ;  and  no  one  seemed  disposed  to 
dispute  the  fact.  There  was  one  thing,  however,  which 
appeared  mysterious  to  us,  who  were  unacquainted  with 
such  matters;  namely,  how  the  captain  of  the  Niagara 
could  spend  his  time  in  the  silly  dance,  consistently  with 
his  responsible  duties.  Suppose,  while  he  was  capering 
about  and  measuring  his  steps  by  the  motion  of  cuffy's 
elbow,  surrounded  with  the  stamping  noise  of  a  crazy 
multitude,  the  boat  had  suddenly  taken  fire,  ten  miles 
from  land,  who,  amidst  the  darkness  and  peril  of  that 
hour,  would  have  been  responsible  for  the  souls  aboard, 
and  prepared  to  meet  the  emergency  with  discretion  ?  It 
is  needless  to  say  any  thing  respecting  the  rudeness  of  such 
conduct  toward  the  civil  part  of  the  passengers,  who  had 


N  0  TKB     0  F     TKAVEL.  369 

gone  aboard  Avit.li  reasonable  expectation  of  safe  convey- 
ance and  excellent  accommodation.  The  act  defines  itself. 
On  the  morning  of  Thursday,  Gth,  near  Thunder  Bay, 
was  witnessed  one  of  nature's  most  beautiful  exhibitions. 
It  was  a  thin  cloud  forming  a  regular  arch,  which  spanned 
one-fourth  of  the  visible  heavens,  the  ends  resting  upon  the 
north  and  south,  and  the  greatest  elevation  over  the  east. 
The  face  of  it  presented  every  possible  hue,  scarlet,  deep 
purple,  golden  yellow,  silver  white,  pea  green,  and  all  inter- 
mediate shades.  It  was  apparently  stationary,  and  for 
one  hour  increasing  in  beauty  and  splendor,  till  the  lumin- 
ary of  day  slowly  emerged  from  the  "vasty  deep,"  im- 
mediately under  the  center  of  this  triumphal  arch,  and 
threw  his  beams  of  light  over  the  sparkling  waves  toward 
the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  One  such  mani- 
festation of  infinite  Wisdom  affords  more  real  pleasure 
than  all  the  galleries  of  paintings  this  world  contains. 

About  noon  we  rode  into  Mackinaw  on  a  moderate 
swell,  and  went  ashore,  anxious  to  see  what  we  could 
during  the  half  hour  allowed  us.  The  island  is  small, 
and  on  the  north  side  forms  a  bold  bluff,  shaded  with 
deep-green  foliage.  On  the  east  side,  where  the  village 
is,  the  ascent  is  easy.  The  great  object  of  attraction  to 
strangers  is  the  military  fort,  the  appearance  of  which,  at 
a  distance,  is  quite  handsome,  and,  from  its  elevated  posi- 
tion, rather  imposing.  Afraid  to  encounter  the  hill  in 
such  haste,  we  contented  ourselves  with  examining  the 
stores  of  Indian  curiosities,  but  found  the  variety  so  ex- 
hausted, that  but  little  of  interest  remained.  The  number 
of  Indians  about  the  village  appeared  to  have  been  greatly 
reduced  since  1844;  but  few  tents  were  standing  in  sight 
of  the  wharf;  their  birch -bark  canoes  were  mostly  hauled 
up  on  the  beach  above  the  swells,  and  very  few  of  the 
Indians  made  their  appearance.  Some  of  the  passengers 
ventured  up  to  the  fort  to  obtain  a  hasty  view  of  it,  but 


370  MISCELLANY. 

the  tolling  of  our  bell  soon  brought  them  back  faster  than 
they  went,  and  we  were  off  again. 

Leaving  Mackinaw,  we  headed  south,  up  Lake  Michigan. 
The  breeze  which  had  sprung  up  in  the  forenoon  steadily 
increased  till  evening,  when  it  became  a  gale,  and  finally 
a  regular  eastern  storm  of  wind  and  rain.  About  eioht 
o'clock  we  attempted  to  land  at  Manitou,  one  hundred 
miles  from  Mackinaw;  but  the  storm  drove  us  off  without 
effecting  it.  We  had  just  time  to  crawfish  out  into  deep 
water,  and  get  the  proper  course,  before  it  fully  broke 
upon  us.  For  the  next  twelve  hours  the  boat  was  rolling 
and  pitching,  till  many  of  the  passengers  got  "half  seas 
over,"  and  the  lake  appeared  in  general  commotion,  which 
corresponded  exactly  with  our  internal  feelings.  When 
the  breakfast  bell  rang,  most  of  us  had  no  occasion  to 
appear  at  table,  till  we  landed  at  Sheboygan,  about  nine 
o'clock,  and  the  motion  which  had  destroyed  our  appetites 
ceased,  then  we  revived  in  feeling,  and  the  second  table 
was  well  filled,  and  all  lost  time  made  up.  Soon  after 
this  the  wind  shifted  its  course,  met  the  rolling  billows, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  laid  the  entire  surface  as  smooth  as 
a  level  prairie. 

At  Sheboygan  we  saw  the  scanty  remains  of  the  steam- 
boat Phoenix,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  last  fall.  The 
calamity  occurred  eight  miles  out,  when  the  boat  was 
crowded  with  passengers,  as  we  were  told,  some  of  whom 
reached  the  land  on  planks,  ladders,  and  floating  frag- 
ments; some  were  picked  up  by  another  steamboat,  but 
many  of  them  were  lost.  The  burning  keel  was  towed  to 
the  beach,  where  it  is  nearly  buried  in  sand,  and  presents 
an  appalling  spectacle.  The  wreck  of  the  Boston,  which 
was  driven  ashore  by  a  terrible  storm  at  night  near  the 
same  time,  lies  partly  on  her  side  near  Milwaukie.  The 
passengers  on  her,  after  much  suffering  in  the  cold  water, 
reached  land  with  their  lives.     These  manifest  tokens  of 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  371 

destruction  strongly  admonish  the  passer-by  of  the  perils 
of  the  lake. 

We  reached  Milwaukie  on  Friday  afternoon,  where  more 
than  two  hundred  deck  and  cabin  passengers  were  landed, 
to  disperse  through  that  new  country.  We  stopped  at  the 
National  Hotel,  but  were  subsequently  removed  to  the 
house  of  a  kind  friend,  where  we  remained  till  Monday 
evening.  Milwaukie  is  about  twelve  years  old,  and  con- 
tains about  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  situated 
at  the  mouth  of  the  small  river  of  the  same  name,  which 
affords  a  safe  harbor.  The  improvements  are  very 
respectable  for  so  new  a  place,  and  rapidly  advancing. 
Its  chief  peculiarity  is  the  color  of  the  houses.  The 
bricks  are  all  of  a  light  cream  color,  owing,  probably,  to 
some  unusual  substance  in  the  natural  formation  of  which 
they  are  made,  and  when  in  the  building,  look  as  hand- 
some as  ordinary  bricks  painted  white,  and  are  said  to 
be  very  hard  and  durable.  The  wooden  houses  are 
nearly  all  white,  which  imparts  to  this  young  city  a 
general  air  of  cheerfulness.  Many  citizens  and  visitors 
suppose  that  Milwaukie  will  soon  become  a  large  com- 
mercial city. 

At  Southport  we  were  put  ashore  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning  amidst  darkness  that  could  be  felt,  because  of  a 
dense  fog,  and  were  conveyed  to  the  Temperance  House ; 
but  when  daylight  came  to  our  relief,  we  found  ourselves 
in  a  beautiful  village  of  some  two  thousand  five  hundred 
inhabitants.  The  more  it  rains  there  the  better  the  walk- 
ing becomes ;  for,  when  dry,  the  sand  is  deep,  and  makes 
the  travel  heavy,  but  when  closely  packed,  by  beating 
showers,  the  walking  is  pleasant.  This  village  is  fifty-five 
miles  below  Chicago,  and  is  a  very  inviting  place  at  which 
to  reside. 


372  MISCEL  L  ANT. 


A   COLD    TRIP. 

Rev.  Dr.  Simpson — Dear  Brother, — When  leaving 
Cincinnati,  several  friends  requested  us  to  inform  them 
by  letter  when  we  should  have  safely  reached  this  place ; 
and,  to  save  time  and  labor  of  writing,  I  have  concluded, 
with  your  consent,  to  report  to  all  of  them  at  once, 
through  your  paper. 

"We  took  passage  for  Pittsburg  on  the  14th  instant,  on 
board  of  the  Telegraph  No.  1,  and  got  under  way  at 
three  o'clock,  P.  M.  Our  accommodations  were  excellent 
throughout,  and  we  made  good  headway  till  next  morn- 
ing, when  we  met  small  flakes  of  floating  ice,  which  were 
soon  followed  by  larger  and  heavier  pieces,  as  the  cold 
increased,  till  roods  became  acres,  and  acres  became 
fields,  covering  the  entire  width  of  the  river.  As  the 
solid  ice  formed  along  the  shores,  and  the  channel  for  the 
drifting  masses  contracted,  the  friction  was  terrible,  and 
the  prospect  of  ascending  constantly  diminishing.  At 
some  of  the  short  bends  we  found  the  channel  gorged, 
and  the  ice  nearly  stationary  for  miles;  but  our  noble 
steamer  still  plowed  her  way  onward  and  upward,  against 
the  strong  current  and  all  the  massive  obstruction  which 
it  bore.  After  the  iron  sheeting  was  worn  off  from  the 
bow,  the  captain  substituted  planks,  and  when  they  were 
cut  to  pieces  their  places  were  supplied  by  others;  and 
when  the  paddles  were  broken,  new  ones  were  put  in. 
Beside  this  difficulty  we  had  too  much  freight,  or  too  little 
depth  of  water  on  the  bars,  and  were  several  times  badly 
grounded.  The  hope  of  reaching  Pittsburg  was  soon  cut 
off";  but,  after  a  determined  and  persevering  effort  of 
nearly  four  days,  we  got  to  Wheeling  without  injury. 


NOTES    OF    TRAVEL.  373 

where   I   had   the    pleasure    of    preaching,    on    Sabbath 
evening,  to  a  large  and  attentive  congregation. 

At  this  season  of  the  year,  or  when  navigation  is 
obstructed,  there  is  but  one  way  to  reach  Baltimore ;  that 
is,  by  stage  to  Cumberland,  thence  by  railroad.  The  only 
point  for  us  to  settle  was  the  time  of  leaving.  After  a 
severe  snow-storm,  the  weather  became  very  cold  on  Sab- 
bath night,  which  occasioned  some  misgiving  as  we  looked 
toward  the  elevated  peaks  of  the  Alleghany ;  but  loss  of 
time  presented  other  difficulties  worthy  of  consideration. 
The  anticipation  of  one  whom  the  people  delight  to  honor, 
and  his  traveling  party,  just  behind  us,  was  already  put- 
ting the  multitudes  in  motion.  Office-seekers  and  pleas- 
ure-takers were  preparing  to  swell  the  train  of  him  who 
"never  surrenders,"  and  to  be  at  "headquarters"  in  time 
to  witness  the  inauguration  of  General  Taylor;  all  of 
whom  had  to  travel  the  same  road  by  stage,  in  anticipa- 
tion of  which  the  stage  fare  was  already  on  the  rise.  To 
go  with  that  multitude  of  aspirants  after  political  pleasure 
and  official  distinction  did  not  serve  our  convenience,  nor 
suit  our  notion  of  comfort.  We  did  not  wish  to  follow  the 
train  after  every  thing  was  eaten  and  worn  out,  neither 
had  we  time  to  wait  for  all  the  eastern-bound  pilgrims  to 
pass  on  before  us;  and,  as  we  were  in  advance,  we 
resolved,  if  possible,  to  maintain  that  position,  by  leaving 
on  Monday  morning.  New  bills  were  distributed,  prom- 
ising, of  course,  superior  accommodations,  on  a  "splendid 
line  of  Troy-built  coaches,"  etc. ;  so  that  crossing  the 
mountains  might  have  been  regarded,  by  one  not  familiar 
with  the  practical  operation,  as  a  mere  pleasure- ride  on  a 
summer's  morning;  but  experience  had  taught  us  to  throw 
in  one-half  for  shrinkage.  Some  of  our  fellow-passengers 
on  the  Telegraph,  forming  a  choice  party,  were  promoted 
to  the  mail-line,  with  the  flattering  prospect  of  getting  on 
in  quick  time;  then  four  coaches  of  the  accommodation 

32 


374  MISCELLANY. 

line  were  loaded,  of  which  ours  was  one.  From  appear- 
ance it  had  once  been  a  second-class  coach  of  its  size,  but 
had  seen  its  best  days,  and  bore  evident  marks  of  a  veteran 
mountain  pioneer;  having  inscribed  upon  its  shield,  in 
small  capitals,  the  significant  title,  "Rio  Grande."  It  was 
just  large  enough  to  accommodate  six  passengers  of  ordi- 
nary stature,  and  more  should  not  have  been  required  of 
it;  but  its  unreasonable  task-master  piled  on  about  one 
thousand  pounds  of  baggage  to  commence  with ;  and  then 
about  fifteen  hundred  pounds  of  humanity  were  stowed 
away  inside,  consisting  of  ten  passengers,  or,  more  tech- 
nically, "nine  and  a  half,"  one  being  under  size,  but  not 
as  much  under  as  some  of  us  were  over ;  so  that  it  was 
not  respectful  in  our  way-bill  to  call  us  nine  and  a  half, 
for,  on  an  average,  we  compared  respectably  with  any  ten 
passengers  in  the  train.  Beside,  we  were  favored  with  the 
usual  supply  of  baskets,  sachels,  extra  robes,  etc.  Our 
concern  did  not  do  a  way-side  business;  we  were  all 
through  passengers ;  and  when  once  crowded  in,  and  the 
door  forced  to  upon  us,  we  experienced  the  practical  defi- 
nition of  a  squeeze.  I  will  venture  to  say  that  the  same  lot 
of  individuals  were  never  before  compressed  within  the 
same  narrow  space,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  never  will 
be  again.  The  word  was  given,  "All  set,"  and  we  dashed 
off  at  a  merry  step,  but  not  in  a  merry  mood.  To  endure 
the  pressure  we  then  felt  during  a  trip  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty- one  miles,  was  a  serious  affliction,  but  one  for  which 
there  was  no  remedy.  The  state  of  the  temperature  did  not 
admit  of  any  one  riding  outside.  On  reaching  Washing- 
ton, Pennsylvania,  some  of  the  mail-coach  party  becoming 
indisposed  from  exposure,  remained ;  the  balance  held  out 
to  Uniontown,  but  were  so  affected  with  the  intensity  of 
cold  as  to  abandon  the  coach,  and  lie  over.  While  at 
Washington  we  procured  heated  bricks  for  our  ladies  to 
place  under  their  feet,  and  a  new  blanket  to  spread  over 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  375 

them,  which  enabled  them  to  endure  the  cold  to  Union- 
town,  where  we  renewed  our  preparations  for  the  night, 
and  set  oft  for  a  lofty  tumble  over  the  mountains,  having 
to  ride  sixty-three  miles  to  Cumberland,  the  next  place 
where  we  were  allowed  to  warm,  or  receive  any  refresh- 
ment, which  took  us  from  half-past  six  in  the  evening- 
till  half-past  seven  next  morning.  A  night's  ride  of 
thirteen  hours,  in  the  elevated  and  frozen  regions  of  the 
Laurel  Hill  and  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  in  our  cramped 
condition,  was  really  tedious,  and  attended  with  positive 
suffering  from  both  cramp  and  frost.  The  road  was  firm, 
and  tolerably  smooth ;  too  much  so  for  our  safety  on  the 
mountains.  The  icy  descents  were  the  more  dangerous 
from  being  covered  by  the  recent  fall  of  snow,  conceal- 
ing the  points  of  difficulty  from  the  driver's  view  till  the 
wheels  commenced  sliding.  The  lamps  went  out  early  in 
the  night,  and  were  not  relighted;  the  road  was  but  par- 
tially beaten  down  after  the  last  snow,  so  that  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  determine  by  sight  when  the  stage  was  in  the  right 
track,  as  every  place  had  nearly  the  same  appearance. 
This  was  one  source  of  danger.  Another  was  the  rapidity 
with  which  we  descended,  to  regain  the  time  lost  in 
ascending  the  high  mountains.  Our  drivers  complained 
of  having  "a  salty  load,"  meaning  heavy.  One  driver, 
while  creeping  up  a  long  hill  in  a  slow  walk,  became  cold 
and  impatient,  and,  having  gained  the  summit,  and 
reached  the  turning-point,  jumped  down,  adjusted  his 
check-blocks,  gave  his  horses  an  awful  cursing  to  wake 
them  up,  and  a  few  lashes  to  raise  their  mettle  for  a  lively 
run  down  the  mountain.  The  checks  had  some  control 
over  the  fore-wheels,  but  the  hind  ones  wrould  slide  which 
ever  way  the  weight  of  baggage  leaned  in  the  rear  boot, 
changing  sides  as  the  ground  changed.  The  diminutive 
old  vehicle,  reeling  and  screaking  under  its  ponderous 
Wd„  went  sliding  down  with  fearful  speed,  and,  some- 


Oib  MISCELLANY. 

times,  almost  sidewise,  which,  of  course,  was  extremely- 
perilous.  We  often  had  occasion  to  remember  the  Bible 
truth,  "A  horse  is  a  vain  thing  for  safety;"  though,  in 
some  cases,  the  teams  are  more  civil  than  their  drivers. 
Neither  was  to  be  trusted;  therefore  we  committed 
ourselves  to  the  safe-keeping  of  the  Most  High,  and 
pleaded  that  his  presence  might  go  with  us  and  keep  us 
from  evil.  To  his  superintending  care,  alone,  we  attrib- 
uted our  safety,  amid  perils  visible  and  invisible  to  us. 

On  reaching  Cumberland  we  felt  thankful  for  whole 
bones.  As  we  crept  out  of  the  stage  the  bell  summoned 
us  to  breakfast.  There  was  no  time  to  rest  or  warm,  as 
it  was  near  the  regular  time  of  leaving  for  Baltimore,  and 
we  hurried  in  to  the  table,  where  we  found  only  scraps  left 
from  the  regular  breakfast.  Those  who  preceded  had 
saved  us  the  trouble  of  eating  much.  Our  work  of  glean- 
ing the  fragments  was  soon  accomplished,  and  we  made 
for  the  depot,  mending  our  pace  at  each  note  of  the  whis- 
tle, and  just  had  time  to  pitch  in  our  trunks  and  get 
aboard  before  the  train  moved.  The  change  from  the 
hard  seats  of  our  old,  rickety  coach  to  cushioned  seats,  in 
a  warm  and  spacious  car,  was  very  grateful  to  us  cold  and 
weary  travelers.  The  same  evening  we  met  a  welcome 
reception  byr  our  Christian  friends  in  Baltimore,  where  our 
perils  are  past,  and  our  toils  are  ended,  for  the  present; 
and,  though  nearly  "used  up"  by  the  journey,  we  trust 
no  serious  injury  to  our  health  has  been  inflicted.  Mrs. 
Morris  endured  the  entire  trip  better  than  could  have  been 
expected  under  all  the  circumstances,  but  suffers  with 
soreness  and  pain. 

Yours,  truly,  T.  A.  Morris. 

Baltimore,  Feb.  22, 1849. 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL. 


377 


RURAL  SCENERY-WHITE  MOUNTAINS. 

How  striking  is  the  contrast  between  city  and  country  ! 
The  former  is  preferable  for  winter  residence,  on  account 
of  its  facilities  for  business  pursuits,  social  intercourse, 
and  church  privileges;  but,  in  summer,  the  country  is 
altogether  more  desirable.  The  few  stinted  shrubs  and 
shade-trees,  seen  about  the  city  mansions  of  the  wealthy, 
are  no  more  to  the  forests  and  gardens  of  nature,  than  the 
maps  of  countries  and  the  pictures  of  landscapes  are  to 
the  originals.  Then  the  idea  of  being  confined,  during  a 
long  summer,  to  a  city,  with  all  its  noise,  and  dust,  and 
heat,  compares  indifferently  with  the  freedom  and  pleasure 
of  the  cool  country  shade.  It  is  only  because  the  few 
months  of  relief  allowed  us  from  official  business  come  in 
the  cold  season,  that  we  are  willing  to  spend  them  amid 
the  bustle  of  crowded  cities,  while  such  a  vast  range  of 
rural  territory  is  accessible,  where  one  may  roam  in  peace- 
ful contemplation  among  the  beauties  and  grandeur  of  this 
wide  world. 

We  have  occasionally  attempted  brief  sketches  of  west- 
ern life  and  scenery,  not  for  those  familiar  with  them,  but 
for  distant  friends  and  readers.  Now  we  propose  to 
reverse  the  order,  and  let  our  friends  in  the  west  have  a 
glimpse  of  some  things  which  have  come  under  our 
observation  in  the  east.  In  doing  this,  we  hope  to  afford 
some  entertainment  for  esteemed  friends  that  never  saw 
those  things,  and  thereby  discharge,  in  part,  a  debt  of 
gratitude  justly  due  them.  All  we  assume,  however,  is 
to  note  down  a  few  observations  made  in  the  summer  of 
1849,  during  a  transient  sojourn  in  "the  land  of  steady 
habits."  We  kept  no  journal,  and  were  not  on  a  tour  of 
observation  particularly,  but  partly  on  a  Gospel  mission, 
32* 


378  MISCELLANY. 

and  partly  on  a  tour  of  health  and  recreation,  after  a  long 
and  severe  campaign  of  official  duty.  Yet  some  objects 
lying  in  our  course  made  so  strong  an  impression  on  our 
mind,  that  we  could  not  forget  them,  if  we  would,  and 
would  not,  if  we  could.  A  few  of  those  scenes  which 
made  the  deepest  impression  on  our  memory,  without 
attempting  any  connected  narrative,  is  all  we  think  of 
embracing  in  this  article.  Even  on  this  limited  scale,  it  is 
embarrassing  to  decide  where  to  begin,  and  where  to  end. 
The  Atlantic  coast,  with  its  bays  and  harbors,  its  capes 
and  fisheries,  its  commercial  points  and  fashionable  bath- 
ing establishments,  must  all  be  omitted.  Nor  can  we 
allow  room  for  a  description  of  the  Penobscot  and  the 
Kennebec — those  bold  channels,  with  their  islands,  indent- 
ations, and  promontories,  their  bluff  shores,  abrupt  peaks, 
sloping  borders,  and  fertile  plains,  ornamented  with  vil- 
lages of  white  habitations  and  steeple-churches — however 
pleasant  it  would  be  to  do  so.  The  beautiful  hights,  and 
inclined  planes  between  them,  must  share  the  same 
neglect.  Neither  can  we  linger,  gentle  reader,  along 
the  shady  banks  of  the  Merrimack,  to  examine  its  fac- 
tories, growing  young  cities,  rural  retreats,  and  green  val- 
leys, though  this  would  be  delightful.  We  must  hasten 
along  the  iron  road,  crossing  hills  and  vales,  alternately 
edging  along  cultivated  plains,  and  cutting  through 
extended  ledges  of  solid  granite,  till  we  reach  Lebanon, 
New  Hampshire.  Here  let  us  pause  awhile,  amid  the 
combined  beauties  of  nature  and  art. 

Lebanon  is  a  small  place,  uniting  the  manufacturing  and 
agricultural  interests.  In  the  center  is  a  large  hollow 
6quare,  on  a  clean  sand-plain,  partially  covered  with  a 
green  grass-plat,  bounded  on  two  sides  with  business- 
houses,  and  on  the  others  with  tasty  private  dwellings, 
from  which  broad  streets  lead  off  in  various  directions. 
The   plain  on  which  the  village  stands   appears   to   be 


NOTES       )  ¥     1'KAVEL. 


379 


iuclosed  all  round  with  gently-iising  hills,  which  are  used 
as  pasture-lands,  dotted  with  numerous  rocks,  and  shaded 
with  forest-trees,  and  enlivened  with  grazing  herds  of  cat- 
tle. There  are,  however,  winding  passes  between  those 
hills.  The  Mascomy,  a  narrow  river,  fed  by  a  small  lake 
of  the  same  name  a  few  miles  east,  cuts  the  west  end  of 
the  village,  where,  in  passing  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
yards,  it  falls  some  forty  or  fifty  feet,  over  successive 
ledges  of  rock,  and  thence,  by  a  rapid  movement  of  some 
miles,  loses  itself  in  the  Connecticut  river.  On  one  street, 
leading  west,  you  cross  the  falls,  about  midway,  on  a  sub- 
stantial bridge,  affording  a  fine  view  of  the  descending 
torrent.  The  railroad  crosses  near  by,  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  falls,  on  a  covered  way,  and  leads  up,  through  a 
deep  cut,  to  the  depot,  in  the  north-east  corner  of  the 
village.  On  this  line,  connecting  Boston  and  Montpelier, 
six  long  trains  pass  daily,  at  regular  hours ;  four  of  them 
crowded  with  passengers,  and  two  conveying  produce, 
lumber,  and  live  stock — sheep  and  cattle — to  the  Boston 
market.  The  whole,  taken  together,  renders  Lebanon  one 
of  the  most  romantic  little  places  we  have  seen.  It  affords 
excellent  society,  and,  like  most  New  England  villages,  is 
well  supplied  with  churches  and  seminaries.  Withal,  it  is 
remarkably  healthy,  in  general ;  in  proof  of  which,  we 
made  the  acquaintance  of  some  citizens  over  eighty  years 
old,  and  one  over  ninety.  From  this  point  we  hailed  some 
two  weeks  in  August,  and  found  it  a  delightful  summer 


retreat. 


Now,  suppose  we  roll  down  to  the  White  river  junction, 
then  turn  north  up  the  Connecticut  Valley,  along  the  state 
line,  between  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  viewing  a 
series  of  green  meadows  and  lovely  villages  on  either  side 
of  the  river,  altogether  appearing  as  a  vast,  continuous 
garden,  inclosed  with  a  wall  of  mountains.  Among  the 
noted  places,   perhaps   Haverhill,  New   Hampshire,  and 


380  MISCELLANY. 

Newberry,  Vermont,  are  the  most  handsome.  Here  we 
spent  a  pleasant  Sabbath,  attending  religious  service  in 
both  places.  In  the  latter  is  an  excellent  and  flourishing 
seminary.  We,  however,  can  not  linger,  even  on  this 
beautiful  landscape,  lest  we  be  tedious.  A  few  miles 
above  Newberry  we  leave  the  cars,  and  pass,  by  stage,  up 
the  Amonoosuc,  through  Lisbon  and  Littleton,  toward  the 
mountain  region.  But  without  regard  to  exact  order,  let 
us  digress  across  the  hill  country,  through  that  elevated, 
uneven,  but  cultivated  section  of  gardens  and  meadows, 
cottages  and  stone  fences,  including  the  towns  of  Landaff, 
Bethlehem,  and  Sugar  Hill,  and  first  take  a  view  of  Fran- 
conia,  a  southern  section  of  the  general  range  of  White 
Mountains. 

The  most  natural  way  to  approach  this  group  of  won- 
ders is  from  the  east.  Coming  up  the  narrow  thorough- 
fare, between  Mount  Lafayette  and  Mount  Jackson,  along 
the  Pemegewasset,  a  tributary  of  the  Merrimack,  the  first 
stopping-place  of  note  is  Mr.  Taft's  Temperance  Hotel,  a 
quiet,  well-kept  house.  From  his  front  piazza  north,  the 
mountain  view  is  at  once  grand  and  lovely.  Here  we 
obtained  a  guide,  who  conducted  us  over  hills  and  hol- 
lows, by  a  winding  path,  through  devious  wilds  and 
roughs,  across  the  river,  some  three-fourths  of  a  mile,  to 
the  Flume.  This  is  a  sheet  of  pure  mountain  water,  two 
rods  wide,  but  shallow;  passing,  writh  great  rapidity,  some 
hundred  and  fifty  yards,  over  an  inclined  plane  of  solid 
stone,  worn  perfectly  smooth  by  the  action  of  the  current, 
and  presenting  a  silver-white  appearance,  of  surpassing 
beauty.  Above  the  Flume  a  fourth  of  a  mile  is  the  cata- 
ract, formed  by  the  same  rivulet,  falling  some  rods  over  a 
precipice  of  cragged  rocks.  Just  at  the  foot  of  the  cata- 
ract proper,  the  descending  current  enters  an  opening  in  a 
massive  rock,  about  one  rod  wide,  twenty  feet  deep,  and  a 
hundred  yards  long ;  the  side  walls  being  perpendicular, 


NOTES     O  F    T  B  A  V  E  L  .  381 

and  smooth  as  if  the  channel  had  been  wrought  by 
mechanical  skill,  though  it  was,  no  doubt,  formed  by 
the  action  of  the  water  itself,  in  the  course  of  many  long 
centuries.  Access  to  this  point  is  obtained  with  difficulty, 
bv  clambering  along  the  sides  of  the  irregular  cliffs,  with 
scarce  room  for  foothold,  over  the  rapid  stream.  The 
whole  scenery  round  the  cataract,  located  in  a  ravine  of 
the  mountain  side,  is  wild  and  strange. 

Proceeding  up  the  road,  perhaps  a  mile  or  more  from 
the  tavern,  and  off  to  the  right,  as  we  understood,  is  the 
Pool,  a  large  body  of  water  far  down  in  a  deep  cavity, 
among  the  rocks.  This  place  is  much  resorted  to  by  vis- 
itors; but  want  of  time,  and  the  difficulty  of  descending 
to  the  Pool,  prevented  our  turning  aside  to  examine  it. 
But  the  most  beautiful  object  in  the  vicinity  is  the  Basin, 
immediately  by  the  way  on  our  left.  It  is  formed  by  the 
Pemegewasset  tumbling,  in  wild  confusion,  down  a  preci- 
pice of  projecting  rocks ;  so  that,  in  the  descent,  the  water 
is  thrown  to  the  left  with  violence,  against  a  curving  stone, 
then  forced  to  the  right,  giving  it  a  whirling  motion,  which 
has  worn  a  basin  in  the  rock  that  forms  the  bed  of  the 
river,  of  an  oval  shape,  about  thirty  by  twenty  feet,  and 
perhaps  eight  or  ten  feet  deep.  The  Basin  is  always  full, 
and  running  over.  The  troubled  element,  after  whirling 
round  in  a  circle,  passes  off  at  one  corner,  and  pursues  its 
wonted  zigzag  course,  amid  the  obstructing  fragments  of 
rock  below.  The  water  is  pure  mountain  spring,  clear  as 
crystal,  sufficiently  cold  for  comfort,  and  delicious  to  the 
taste ;  of  which  we  had  ample  proof,  by  slaking  our  thirst 
at  the  Pool  on  a  hot  afternoon. 

Above  the  Basin,  some  two  or  three  miles,  the  scenery 
changes  from  the  beautiful  to  the  sublime.  Here  the  val- 
ley becomes  more  narrow,  and  the  mountains,  on  either 
side,  more  elevated,  abrupt,  and  imposing.  Just  below 
the  Notch  House,  kept  by  Mr.  Gibbs,  a  place  of  much 


6b%  MISCELLANY. 

resort,  on  account  of  its  romantic  location,  and  the  spien- 
<Jor  of  the  surrounding  scenery,  is  the  Pond.  Perhaps 
this  is  nothing  more  than  a  collection  of  mountain  waters, 
detained  by  obstructions  on  a  small  level,  similar  to  a  large 
canal  basin.  On  the  north  side,  near  the  road,  is  a  post, 
from  which  projects  a  finger-board,  on  which  is  inscribed, 
"Profile."  This  points  across  the  water,  and  directs 
attention  to  "The  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain."  Viewed 
from  this  position,  the  projecting  points  of  rock  on  Mount 
Jackson  are  so  arranged  as  to  form  an  exact  profile  of  a 
man's  face  on  a  large  scale — forehead,  eyes,  nose,  mouth, 
chin,  and  all.  He,  however,  does  not  conform  to  the 
modern  style  of  hat,  with  high  crown  and  narrow  rim,  but 
wears  a  kind  of  patriarchal  cap,  with  an  ample  shade  in 
front,  and  looks  as  though  he  defied  all  the  revolutions  of 
time.  He  is  surmounted  on  a  nearly-perpendicular  cliff, 
or  pinnacle  of  rocks,  at  an  elevation  of  about  one  thousand 
feet,  in  an  easy-sitting  position,  as  if  occupying  a  chair  of 
state,  looking,  I  believe,  north-east,  with  his  eye  firmly 
fixed  on  the  loftiest  summit  of  Mount  Lafayette,  where  he 
has  probably  remained  a  faithful  sentinel  ever  since  Noah's 
Flood,  and  perhaps  for  a  longer  period.  Had  he  taken 
his  position  on  a  mountain,  in  some  heathen  land,  no  doubt 
but  millions  of  the  human  family  would  have  worshiped 
him  as  a  supernatural  being. 

The  next  object  of  note  is  the  Lake,  situated  between 
the  mountains,  being  a  collection  of  clear  water  supplied 
by  mountain  springs,  with  a  sand  and  gravel  bottom,  cov- 
ering, perhaps,  some  forty  acres.  On  this  lake  is  a  pleas- 
ure-boat, which,  at  the  time  we  passed  by,  was  filled  with 
visitors,  amusing  themselves  with  a  speaking  trumpet,  and 
hearing  themselves  mocked  by  the  mountain  echo,  which, 
in  that  confined  location,  was  very  distinct,  and  rather 
startling,  as  though  some  one  was  speaking  from  the  caves 
of  the  mountain. 


NOTES     OF     TRAVEL.  383 

Soon  after  leaving  the  Lake,  we  reached  the  main  moun- 
tain pass,  wild  and  desolate,  though  rather  inviting  than 
repulsive.  From  this  point  we  began  to  descend,  but  not 
rapidly,  or  abruptly ;  for  the  road  through  the  Franconia 
Notch  is  pleasant  for  carriage-riding  all  the  way.  As  we 
came  down,  one  chasm  on  our  left  made  an  imposing 
appearance.  It  was  a  dark  ravine,  shaded  with  birch  and 
hemlock,  but  how  deep  we  could  not  determine,  as  the 
boughs,  with  their  thick  foliage,  were  so  interlocked  as  to 
exclude  the  sun's  rays,  and,  consequently,  obstructed  our 
vision,  and,  not  being  able  to  see  the  bottom,  rendered  it 
the  more  terrific.  So  far  as  we  could  obtain  a  distinct 
view  from  the  carriage,  the  moss-covered  rocks,  resting 
under  a  dense  forest,  gave  a  somber  and  venerable  air  to 
the  whole.  Reaching  the  valley,  and  crossing  the  South 
Amonoosuc,  we  soon  gained  the  elevation  called  Sugar 
Hill,  some  seven  miles  from  the  Franconia  Notch.  It  was 
that  hour  of  peculiar  interest,  when  the  luminary  of  day 
was  about  to  disappear  below  the  western  horizon.  Some 
of  his  last  rays  were  faintly  resting  on  the  mountain  side, 
while  flitting  clouds  flung  their  moving  shadows  over  other 
parts :  we  paused,  and  turned  round  to  enjoy  a  last,  lin- 
gering view  of  the  mountain  scenery,  which  had  just  left 
such  a  deep  impression  upon  our  minds.  The  sight  was 
magnificent  beyond  description.  Lafayette  and  Jackson 
loomed  up  toward  heaven ;  fragments  of  their  vapor  clouds 
were  floating  up  through  the  gorge,  and  embracing  the 
bosoms  of  those  mountains,  but  leaving  their  heads  uncov- 
ered to  look  out  on  the  vast  expanse  below. 

Now  let  us  resume  our  route  up  the  Amonoosuc  proper, 
and  head  toward  the  White  Mountains.  Here  we  are 
again  in  a  fertile  vale,  some  parts  highly  cultivated, 
others  in  nature's  wildness,  along  the  banks  of  a  beau- 
tiful little  river,  now  gliding  gently  and  silently  through 
the  plain,  then  dashing  with  impetuosity  over  declining 


384  MISCELLANY. 

ledges,  overhung  with  pine  and  fir-trees,  here  veering  off, 
and  leaving  us  in  an  extensive,  smooth  meadow,  and  there 
returning  to  the  base  of  the  hill,  and  crowding  us  into 
rocky  narrows  The  main  valley,  through  which  this 
crooked  stream  flows,  is  several  miles  wide.  Off  to  our 
right,  in  the  distance,  Mount  Lafayette  rears  its  proud 
summit,  like  a  spacious  dome — for  that  is  the  form  of  it — 
while,  in  our  front,  the  whole  series  of  White  Mountains 
would  be  visible  from  a  favorable  position;  but  Mount 
Washington,  like  Saul  among  the  armies  of  Israel,  stands 
head  and  shoulders  above  all  the  rest.  In  the  evening, 
after  a  journey  of  exceeding  interest,  we  arrived  at  Mr. 
Fabian's  Hotel,  a  large,  commodious  establishment,  capa- 
ble of  boarding  and  lodging  a  hundred  and  fifty  visitors ; 
and,  at  the  proper  season,  every  room  is  full,  but  con- 
stantly changing  between  comers  and  goers.  It  is  a  white 
frame  building,  with  long  wings  of  double  rooms,  and 
halls  and  porticos;  stands  alone,  and,  in  that  lonely 
retreat,  makes  a  fine  appearance.  Fortunately  for  us, 
Mrs.  Morris  and  I  obtained  a  comfortable  room,  which 
had  just  been  vacated,  and  remained  till  after  breakfast 
next  morning.  From  the  upper  piazza,  the  view  of  Mount 
Washington  was  fair,  though  to  the  summit,  by  any  prac- 
ticable route,  was  nine  miles.  It  was  a  pleasant  evening, 
and  nearly  clear,  excepting  some  light  clouds  of  fog  01 
mist,  which  are  generally  visible  about  those  mountain 
bights.  When  these  would  come  square  against  the 
mountain,  then  break,  and  pass  in  fragments  on  either 
side,  the  sight  was,  to  us,  both  novel  and  sublime.  No 
one  needs  to  doubt  this,  when  it  is  remembered  that  the 
bight  of  Mount  Washington  is  six  thousand  and  four  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  or  about  one  mile  and 
a  quarter.  Yet  large  parties,  of  both  sexes,  visit  its  sum- 
mit almost  every  clear  day  in  summer.  They  go  partly 
on   horses,  walking   over  the    most  difficult  places,   and 


.  E  s    o  r    T  k  a  v  i:  j.. 

attended  by  a  guide  familiar  with  the  "bridle -path," 
which  leaves  the  road  a  short  distance  above  the  hotel. 
Each  visitor,  furnished  with  horse  and  guide,  pays  three 
dollars.  A  party  of  nineteen  returned  to  Fabian's  from 
such  an  expedition  just  after  we  arrived.  They  brought 
up  in  double  file,  swinging  their  hats  and  wnite  handker- 
chiefs over  their  heads,  and  shouting  as  if  they  had  not 


only  scaled  the  Alps,  but  conquered  all  the  nations  beyond. 
Such  a  procession,  in  that  mountain  retreat,  was,  of 
'••>ar-'.  exciting;  but  it  was  pleasure  dearly  bought,  for 
some  of  the  female  adventurers  were  heard  to  say,  next 
morning,  they  were  scarcely  able  to  walk.  We  had  not 
the  temerity  to  imitate  their  exploits,  but  resumed  our 
journey  on  wheels,  in  a  comfortable  carriage,  drawn  by 
two  well-trained  ponies,  in  care  of  a  careful  and  pleasant 
young  gentleman,  who  had  joined  us  as  a  traveling  com- 
panion. 

We  soon  passed  the  Giant's  Grave,  a  mound,  such  as 
are  common  in  the  west;  but  who  would  stop  to  survey  a 
mound  with  a  mountain  in  view?     As  we  neared  the  ele- 
vated region,  we  saw  proof  of  the  humidity  of  the  atmos- 
phere in  the  pale-green  moss  growing  on  the  boughs  of 
the  trees,  not  of  luxuriant  growth,  like  the  long  gray  moss 
of  the  south,  but  shorter,  and  of  a  more  sickly  and  deli- 
cate appearance.     About  five  miles  of  an  almost  imper 
ceptible    ascent,    by    a   lonely    road,    through    unbroken 
ts,   brought  us    to   the    Notch   House,  kept  by  Mr. 
ford,  ili»'  younger,  standing  near  a  bluff  point,  in  the 
north-east  section  of  a  small  level  plain,  a  part  of  which, 
.in-  left,  was  a  shallow  pond,  which  seemed  to  be  the 
source  of  one   branch  of  the  Amonoosuc,   and  running 
meanders  had  marked  our  general  course 
thither,  while  a  marshy-looking  meadow,    on   our  right, 
appeared  to  be  drained  by  forming  the  head-spring  of  the 
Saco   river,  run  -i  ;  the  two  streams  rather  inter- 

33 


'd$()  MISCELLANY. 

locked,  or  reaching  into  each  other's  territory,  but  both 
originating  in  that  plain,  -which,  perhaps,  included  some 
ten  acres.  But  how  the  Saco,  or  we,  could  find  any  out- 
let, was,  at  first,  a  mystery ;  for  all  before  us  appeared  to 
be  solid  mountain,  and  impassable.  However,  passing 
the  hotel,  and  turning  round  a  point  of  rocks,  our  road 
formed  a  short  curve  to  the  left,  and  suddenly  brought  us 
into  a  very  narrow  pass,  between  two  perpendicular  stone 
walls,  very  high,  leaving  just  room  for  a  carriage  and  the 
little  foaming  rivulet  to  pass.  This  was  the  "White 
Mountain  Notch."  These  huge  masses  of  solid  stone,  on 
either  hand,  one  of  which  we  judged  to  be  over  forty  feet 
high,  looked  as  if  they  had  been  sundered  by  some  terrible 
convulsion  of  nature  in  days  of  yore ;  while  heaps  of  fallen 
cliffs,  in  scattered  fragments,  partly  filling  up  the  chasms 
below,  corroborated  the  same  idea.  The  plain  above 
described  could  never  have  been  a  lake,  with  sufficient 
weight  of  water  to  force  a  passage  through  this  immense 
barrier  of  solid  rock,  some  forty  feet  above  the  plain,  and 
as  thick  as  high,  because  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the 
water  from  passing  off  west  by  the  way  we  came.  If  this 
gorge  was  ever  forced  open  by  the  element  of  water,  it 
must  have  occurred  after  "all  the  high  hills  that  were 
under  the  whole  heaven  were  covered;"  afttf  "fifteen 
cubits  upward  did  the  waters  prevail,  [above  the  sum- 
mits,] and  the  mountains  were  covered;"  we  say,  after  all 
this,  when  the  Flood  had  so  far  abated  as  to  form  currents 
through  the  lower  parts  or  gaps  of  mountains,  when 
moved  by  the  winds,  then  the  water,  if  ever,  here  broke 
through,  and  produced  this  opening  and  confusion  of  cliffs. 
One  thing  is  certain;  that  is,  some  of  these  ponderous 
masses  have  been  long  since  removed  from  their  original 
positions;  but  whether  by  the  Flood  which  destroyed  the 
old  world,  or  by  earthquakes,  who  can  tell?  So  soon  as 
we  got  through  this  narrow  defile,  all  language  would  fail 


*  OTBS    0  t     TKA  V  1.  I    .  387 

to  give  any  tolerable  idea  of  the  scene  which  was  dis- 
closed. On  the  right  were  hideous  caverns,  whose  death- 
like silence  was  broken  only  by  gurgling  rivulets,  struggling 
for  outlet  among  ruined  masses  of  stone,  thrown  in  wildest 
disorder,  and  overhung  by  ponderous  mountain  steeps, 
while,  on  the  left,  one  of  the  bluff  peaks  of  the  mountain 
towered  some  thousands  of  feet  above  us.  On  these  sub- 
lime pyramids  of  nature  one  might  gaze  for  hours;  and 
the  longer  he  surveyed  them  the  more  he  would  become 
overawed,  and  impressed  with  an  idea  of  the  infinite  power 
of  that  God  whose  hand  formed  "the  everlasting  hills." 
Before  these  stupendous  monuments  of  Omnipotence, 
Atheism  itself  would  stand  abashed. 

Leaving  these  scenes  of  wonder,  we  descended  by  the 
only  possible  route,  a  well-wrought  road,  curving  round 
the  irregular  base  of  mammoth  cliffs,  the  mountains  appar- 
ently rising  higher  and  higher  above  us,  as  we  approxi- 
mated their  lower  foundations.  After  proceeding  gradu- 
ally downward,  perhaps  a  half  mile  or  more,  we  came  to 
two  cascades,  coming  in  on  the  left,  both  passing  under 
bridges,  which  formed  parts  of  our  road.  How  far  up 
they  burst  out  of  the  mountain  we  had  no  means  of 
determining,  but  we  could  distinctly  see  one  of  them,  some 
five  hundred,  and  the  other  about  eight  hundred  feet 
above  us,  and  from  that  down  to  the  ravine  below  us ;  for, 
descending  over  rocky  beds,  at  an  angle  of  about  sixty 
degrees,  and  broken  into  foam  as  white  as  milk,  it  was 
easy  to  trace  their  rapid  course,  and  delightful  to  hear 
their  soft  music  tones.  At  the  time  we  saw  them  they 
were  flush  of  water,  and  made  a  splendid  exhibition. 
Before  we  reached  the  "Willey  House,"  three  miles 
further  down  the  gorge,  a  steady  rain  commenced  falling, 
which  shut  us  in  the  balance  of  the  day,  and  all  night, 
affording  ample  time  for  inquiry  and  reflection.  This 
house  derives  its  name  from  its  former  occupants,  the 


3S8  MISCELLANY. 

excellent  and  lamented  Willey  family,  who  were  over- 
whelmed, and  suddenly  destroyed  by  the  great  avalanche, 
on  the  night  of  August  28,  1826.  Apprehensive  of 
danger,  they  had  erected  a  shanty  further  from  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  a  little  lower  down  the  valley,  where  the 
slope  was  more  gradual,  as  a  refuge  in  case  of  alarm. 
During  heavy  falls  of  rain,  on  the  night  above  named,  the 
whole  side  of  the  mountain  in  the  rear,  for  an  extent  of 
some  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  yards  long,  and 
more  than  a  thousand  feet  high,  suddenly  gave  way,  and 
came  down  with  a  fearful  crash,  carrying  earth,  trees,  and 
loose  rocks,  in  one  confused  mass  of  destruction.  Had 
the  inmates  remained  within  doors  they  would  have  been 
secure,  for  just  behind  the  house  was  a  huge  block  of 
granite,  deeply  imbedded  in  the  plain,  and  inclining 
toward  the  mountain,  sufficiently  strong  to  resist  the 
whole  pressure,  till  it  parted,  so  as  to  pass  on  either  side 
of  the  house,  and  reunite  below,  crushing  the  barn,  and 
filling  the  garden  and  small  meadow  in  front,  but  leaving 
the  house  on  its  proper  foundation,  and  uninjured.  But 
the  family,  consisting  of  Captain  Willey,  wife,  five  chil- 
dren, and  two  hired  men,  attempting  to  gain  the  shanty, 
were,  with  it,  suddenly  overwhelmed  and  crushed  by  the 
desolating  slide.  No  one  of  the  nine  escaped  to  tell  the 
fate  of  the  others ;  but,  by  excavation,  most  of  the  bodies 
were  found,  and  collected  into  one  general  deposit  at  the 
lower  extremity  of  the  sand- bank  formed  by  the  slide, 
where  a  heap  of  loose  stones  serves  as  a  rude  monument 
to  designate  the  ever-memorable  spot,  though  the  remains, 
we  are  told,  have  since  been  removed  to  a  neighboring 
cemetery.  In  the  same  habitation  where  the  Willeys  once 
enjoyed  life,  to  which,  however,  additions  have  been  made, 
we  took  shelter,  during  a  day  and  night  of  rain  and  storm, 
and  felt  it  to  be  the  safest  place  within  reach,  as  there  was 
nothing  left  above  to  fall  on  us,  but  the  solid  strata  of 


N  OTE8      0  1      1  K  .-.   \    i.  ]..  389 

stone.  Next  dav  was  dear,  calm,  and  exhilarating,  when 
we  -lowly  retraced  our  steps  through  the  mountain  pass, 
completing  the  observations  before  noted.  They  faintly 
our  own  first  impressions.  The  general  appearance 
of  these  mountains  is  what  Field,  Vines,  and  others 
described  it  to  be,  when  they  first  visited  them,  more  than 
two  hundred  years  ago,  and  reported  them  under  the 
name  of  the  "Crystal  Hills;''  and  the  fair  inference  is, 
that,  in  the  main,  they  are  now  as  they  were  when  lirst 
formed  by  the  great  Creator.  The  chief  range  of  moun- 
tain bights  is  twenty  miles  long,  and  ten  miles  wide  at  the 
base,  situated  .sixty-live  miles  from  the  ocean;  and  yet  it 
is  said  that,  on  a  clear  day  in  winter,  their  snow-capped 
summits  are  visible  fifty  miles  from  shore,  resting,  like  a 
silvered  cloud,  in  the  western  horizon. 

We  must  of  necessity  omit  all  observations  made  in 
passing  west  through  Vermont,  till  we  reach  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  and  can  only  notice  it  briefly.  It  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  miles  long,  and  its  greatest  width  fifteen 
or  twenty  miles,  interspersed  with  islands  of  various  forms 
and  sizes,  which,  together  with  the  points  and  indentations 
of  its  ever-varying  shores,  give  it  an  air  of  romance  and 
beauty  equal  to  any  thing  of  the  kind.  While  ascending 
that  lake,  views  are  often  presented  from  the  upper  deck 
of  a  steamboat  at  once  grand  and  delightful.  To  the  left, 
the  Camel's  Hump,  and  other  peaks  of  the  Green  Moun- 
tains, have  a  most  commanding  and  exhilarating  appear- 
ance; the  rugged  bights  in  the  "empire  slate,"  to  the 
right,  are  scarcely  less  so,  while  all  between  these 
extended  ranges  is  apparently  made  up  of  gentle  swells, 
fertile  vales,  cultivated  fields,  living  streams,  and  white 
cottages,  including  the  lake  and  its  numerous  villages 
along  the  shores.  The  scene  is  really  enchanting.  It  is 
no  cause  of  marvel,  to  one  familiar  with  it,  that  Dr. 
Dixon,  on  first  view  of  it,  for  awhile  forgot  his  native 
33* 


390  MISCELLANY. 

land,  home,  and  friends,  and  felt  like  pitching  his  tent, 
and  remaining  there  forever.  At  Ticonderoga  Point, 
New  York,  famous  in  the  history  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, we  went  ashore,  and  found  a  quiet  and  agreeable 
hotel,  in  a  cool,  shady  forest,  a  little  below  the  ruins  of 
the  old  fort,  where  we  rested  two  hours,  and  enjoyed  a 
comfortable  dinner.  Five  miles  staging  brought  us  to 
Lake  George,  which,  by  a  narrow  outlet,  is  connected 
with  Lake  Champlain.  It  is  thirty-three  miles  long,  and 
about  two  miles  wide,  through  which,  in  a  small  steam- 
boat, we  softly  glided,  on  a  bright  afternoon,  amid  numer- 
ous green  islands  of  limited  dimensions,  but  handsome 
cliffs  and  shrubbery.  The  lake  is  rather  crooked,  so  that, 
after  proceeding  a  few  miles,  and  curving  round  the  bold 
point  of  a  hill,  we  soon  lost  sight  of  the  narrow  pass 
through  which  we  came.  From  that  to  midway  of  the 
lake,  the  mountains  became  higher,  steeper,  and  more 
magnificent  on  both  sides.  At  one  point,  four  of  these, 
two  on  either  side,  nearly  opposite,  whose  respective  bases 
were  washed  by  the  deep  and  narrow  channel,  and  formed 
its  rock-bound  shores,  brought  even  their  lofty  summits 
into  such  proximity,  that  it  seemed  as  though  friends 
standing  on  each  might  hail  each  other,  if  not  converse 
together,  across  this  lovely  little  sea.  From  thence  to  the 
end  of  the  voyage  the  mountains  gradually  receded.  In 
the  evening,  toward  sundown,  we  rounded  to  opposite  the 
Lake  House,  a  very  delightful  retreat,  at  the  head  of  nav- 
igation, which  we  entered  by  an  easy  ascent,  through  a 
wilderness  of  shrubbery  and  flowers,  of  which  we 
obtained  a  fuller  view  from  the  upper  piazza,  overlook- 
ing, at  the  same  time,  part  of  the  lake  and  its  sur- 
rounding objects.  Upon  the  whole,  the  voyage  up  Lake 
George  is  not  excelled,  in  real  interest,  by  any  of  the 
same  extent.  Here  this  sketch  of  rural  scenery,  already 
too  extended,  must  terminate. 


DUE  DATE 


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